Raised under the big skies of Wyoming and Utah, Julie Jeppsen was educated by the world around her. She grew up with wildlife, mountain ranges, round-ups, trail rides, and rodeos, all of which have provided volumes of ideas and materials for her oil paintings. Julie is a firm believer that nature itself is the best teacher of color, lighting, value, and composition, which explains why she prefers to paint in the great outdoors, using live models for her paintings. Julie’s riveting oils of everything from pointing dogs to bull elk are characterized by bold colors, applied wet on wet.
Encouraged by her mother, who is also an artist, and father, whose keen eye for anatomy helped develop some of the most sought after pure breeds in America, gave her a powerful combination for great works of art. Julie began drawing as soon as she could hold a pencil. At the age of 7 she was asked to draw murals of animals for the elementary school spring festival titled Bambi. At age 14 she started selling her work to pay for entry fees in high school rodeos. She placed 9th in the nation her junior year at the National High School Rodeo Finals and one-tenth of a second apart from winning state finals with her twin sister coming in 1st. She learned all through high school the dedication it takes to be successful and carried those principals to her art career. Julie believes art is something you just have to love to put the time and passion into it. She has been involved in some form of art all her life and will continue doing it because it’s a major part of who she is. Julie lives in Utah with her husband and five children.