Julia Katz

The backyard is a private, informal space. It is a place in my mind of memories of my own childhood, the growing up years of my children, and a current place of relaxation and retreat. During this past year of the pandemic, I spent a lot of time at home, as we all did. I also walked daily in my suburban neighborhood and in nearby nature preserves. The work in this series became a reflection on my experiences of my suburban surroundings where nature goes on around us whether we notice it or not and where nature is somewhat domesticated. Wild birds and squirrels come to our yards for free meals. Dogs are family members. Deer brazenly eat our shrubbery. When I look out at nature I almost always see some sign of human life, right angles amid the organic forms. These paintings are whimsical poems. They are ambiguous and lighthearted. They grow out of my previous work that was concerned with life and movement. They demonstrate my growing interest in formal elements of design and color, exploration of my materials, and my search for emotional expression.