“Sometimes I wish I could make art like I did when I was young,” JuLee recalls. “There were no mistakes then. A bad drawing of a cow could turn into a pig. Now my work is more of a struggle. It is easy to make mistakes. It takes a lot of insight and patience to make that mark on the paper deliberate and profound.”

A native of Denver, Colorado, JuLee studied art at the University of Denver and the San Francisco Art Institute. Despite that, she considers herself to be mostly self-taught. “Sometimes I push at the barriers for a period of time,” JuLee explains. ”Then I suddenly experience a breakthrough.”

Today, JuLee is particularly inspired by the romantic perspective of the Nineteenth Century. “Rather than focus on the ‘shock of the new,’ I prefer creating art that celebrates beauty.”

Julee also enjoys creating whimsical pieces. “Rabbits dueling with swords, that sort of stuff,” she says. “One part N.C. Wyeth, one part Chuck Jones.”

To see additional examples of JuLee’s work, please visit: www.juleesimmons.com.