JULIA CHANCE
contemporary paintings

Landscapes and cityscapes inspire me to paint. My process involves a dialogue between the heightened feeling that I experience in particular landscapes and the possibilities that are presented by working with paint. I work from a purpose-built studio at the end of the garden in Altrincham, South Manchester.
I spent many years in the field of architecture, both working as an architect and teaching design to undergraduate architects. I have always painted and moved to painting full-time after participating in courses run by the artists, Louise Balaam NEAC RWA and Nicholas Wilton.
My architectural background of course informs my painting. My process balances intuition with control and I will often develop the suggestion of form as it appears or emerges within a field of colour and texture. I also like to create a sense of space within the surface of the painting.
Once I'm in the studio and start working on a painting, I apply paint to the prepared boards in an intuitive way, exploring the interplay of colours, textures, gestures and mark-making with different tools. My techniques involve building up layers, scraping back, rubbing, blending, scratching and splattering the paint onto the surface. I work on a number of paintings at the same time, moving between them to stay fresh.
After some time, and as the layers build up, the beginnings of a composition or a particular quality of colour combination and mark-making emerges. I try to stay alert and to notice when this happens. When it does, I follow and build upon it. The process is one of controlling the work as it develops whilst remaining open to taking risks and responding to chance occurrences along the way.
Sometimes it’s a process that flows, but more often it’s an all-engaging wrestle; gaining, losing and then re-gaining control of the painting over a period of time.

'We Were Walking In The Foothills'
Acrylic on board
500mm x 500mm #3050
This painting was shown and sold at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, Winter Exhibition 2020
Image created with #Insitu ArtRoom
My work currently varies in price from between £500 to £2000. I sell directly from my South Manchester studio and also through the curated online gallery, Rise Art, The John Davies Gallery, Moreton-In-Marsh, Saul Hay Fine Art Gallery, Manchester and The Atelier Gallery, Edinburgh. If you are interested in any of the work that you see on this website, you can either contact me directly or follow the link to the gallery, shown below the painting.
