julia hendrickson
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Picture
self-portrait of the artist at work, 2022
Julia Hendrickson is a visual artist and theologian whose work emphasizes practice and process. She lives a Covid conscious life in the Los Angeles Plain ecoregion. Her primary medium is watercolor and salt on paper, an established technique that she is operating on the frontier of with her boundary-pushing scale and abstraction. The work visually depicts ecological relational themes and is interpreted through a spiritual matrix. Julia participates in the tradition of opera Divina, daily work as prayer. She frequently offers a glimpse of her studio practice thru self-filmed videos as an invitation into community liturgy. Julia has an M.F.A. from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Print | Media and an MDiv from Fuller Theological Seminary. She is a Fujimura Fellow and strives to be generative in acts of Culture Care. As a professor, Julia facilitates reflections about the role of art in the world. While waiting for paint to dry, Julia take long walks, documents flowers, and reads a lot of books.

FAQ

Why do you only use one color? 
Maintaining a monochromatic color palette allows the work to construct a meditative space in a specific way. The viewer is able to infer and impose other expansive interpretations as a result of this constraint. 

What sketchbooks are you using?
My father makes them for me. 

What ink do you use?
I use watercolor. That is why it responds differently. 

What is opera Divina? 
Glad you asked. I wrote a blog post about it, that you can read here. I also constructed a reflection guide that you can purchase here, if you are interested in how opera Divina might play out in your life. 

Why are your artworks unframed? 
Amanda Palmer writes in her book "The Art of Asking" about the inherent trust and vulnerability that happens between a performer and their audience. Leaving the artwork unframed asks the viewers to consider their role in protection. This question of trust and protection is amplified as the work frequently references environmental catastrophes or delicate relationships. (Please note I do not agree with Palmer ideologically and find it important to credit idea sources). 

Do you have a newsletter?
Yes, and I rarely send emails. I am much more likely to post a missive here. If you want to subscribe for an occasional offering email, please do so here. 
©julia hendrickson 2025
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