Stepping Out, 2026

Julia Whitehead  

Julia was born in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire in 1969. She studied Illustration & Printmaking at Cambridge. Her work focuses on figurative themes, in particular crowd scenes. Initially more abstract, concentrating on the shadows and shapes that people make when they are grouped en masse, it soon developed into a naturalistic style.

"We are familiar with the scenes of busy, crowded streets but don't always see them from a different perspective or remove ourselves from the crowd to be able to stand and watch. The shapes, colours, shadows and dynamics of moving bodies whether seen individually or as a group, provide a never-ending source of inspiration to me as an artist".

On completion of her studies, Julia was signed up with an agent in the UK. Her work was published and distributed worldwide as fine art prints, greeting cards and textiles under her maiden name of Hawkins. Working as a successful commercial artist meant that Julia had little time to create paintings for sale in galleries or exhibit in shows. In more recent times, following the birth of her two children and the consequential break in her commercial career, Julia is now keen to concentrate on promoting her original oil paintings.

Julia works primarily with oil on quite large-scale canvas. Success as a commercial artist was partly due to her ability to create new styles and to approach a wide variety of subject matters. This has continued with her canvas paintings with subjects ranging from figurative to landscape as well as still life and in a variety of styles and mediums.