Bio:

Hi, I am Julianne Momirov, and I discovered my talent for art later in life.

In my family, my brother was the natural artist. He could pick up a pencil and create a gorgeous picture without effort. I thought that I had no talent for art because I couldn’t do that. I used to joke around that I could barely draw a stick figure.

I was inspired by my octogenarian neighbour who produced beautiful abstract acrylic paintings. When I asked if she had been painting all her life, she told me no, one day a few years ago, she had just started putting paint on canvas and let her imagination go wild. I tried to do the same, but I just didn’t like the outcome, so I found someone who was offering drawing classes and signed up.

I moved on to painting classes after that and mastered the brush as well as the pencil. I enjoyed the delicacy of painting in watercolours but acrylics captured my heart with their rich, vibrant colours and versatility. Painting flowers in my classes was what I enjoyed most. I began to do what I call “flower portraits”.

My first pet portrait was a commission from my sister’s friend who wanted to give a painting of her daughter’s new puppy to her for Christmas. I had no idea if I could pull it off, but I did. My sister’s friend was delighted with it. Since then, I have done dozens of portraits of pets, both alive and deceased, as commissions and gifts. It is fulfilling to see the pleasure on someone’s face when they see their beloved pet and can look into their eyes, especially one that is no longer with them.

My style is realistic, although I greatly admire the Impressionists, particularly Claude Monet.