About Julie Schumer
I knew I wanted to be an artist at age five, when I covered myself in Kelly green paint in kindergarten, captivated by its sensuous feel and expressive power. From the beginning, I gravitated toward non-representational work, using abstraction as a way to communicate emotion rather than depict reality.
Growing up in Southern California, my parents exposed me to museums, art lessons, and European travel, experiences that deeply shaped my visual language. Although I painted throughout childhood, I was discouraged from pursuing art professionally and became an attorney instead. For decades, creativity found expression in a different form—through structure, language, and problem-solving—while painting quietly waited in the background.
At the heart of my practice is a deep commitment to the studio
In my mid-forties, an old friend placed paint and brushes in my hands and told me simply to paint. I did, and never stopped. What followed was a steady return to the studio, guided by persistence, intuition, and the influence of Abstract Expressionist painters such as Joan Mitchell, Grace Hartigan, and Franz Kline. I am a self-taught artist and proud to be part of that tradition.
After moving to Santa Fe in 2002, my studio practice deepened. My early work was bold, colorful, and physically energetic. In 2015, during a prolonged and destabilizing period in my personal life, my palette shifted dramatically. Bright color fell away, replaced by blacks, whites, creams, and earth tones. Working in transparent layers and repeated marks, I began creating large-scale paintings that mapped my internal landscape—works that reconciled agitation with calm and imposed order on chaos.
Over time, these paintings evolved into restrained, atmospheric works with a quiet authority. Their scale, layered surfaces, and ethereal quality allow them to anchor space while carrying emotional resonance.
Following the end of a long relationship, I acquired my own studio for the first time, allowing my voice to emerge without distraction. I continue to develop my layered painting practice while also exploring mixed media and collage, often incorporating fragments of previous works to give them new life and context.
At the heart of my practice is a deep commitment to the studio—listening for what wants to emerge, trusting intuition, and allowing authenticity and risk to guide the work forward. I paint most days, still fueled by the same excitement I felt as a five-year-old discovering paint for the first time.
About Julie Schumer
I knew I wanted to be an artist at age five, when I covered myself in Kelly green paint in kindergarten, captivated by its sensuous feel and expressive power. From the beginning, I gravitated toward non-representational work, using abstraction as a way to communicate emotion rather than depict reality.
Growing up in Southern California, my parents exposed me to museums, art lessons, and European travel, experiences that deeply shaped my visual language. Although I painted throughout childhood, I was discouraged from pursuing art professionally and became an attorney instead. For decades, creativity found expression in a different form—through structure, language, and problem-solving—while painting quietly waited in the background.
In my mid-forties, an old friend placed paint and brushes in my hands and told me simply to paint. I did, and never stopped. What followed was a steady return to the studio, guided by persistence, intuition, and the influence of Abstract Expressionist painters such as Joan Mitchell, Grace Hartigan, and Franz Kline. I am a self-taught artist and proud to be part of that tradition.
After moving to Santa Fe in 2002, my studio practice deepened. My early work was bold, colorful, and physically energetic. In 2015, during a prolonged and destabilizing period in my personal life, my palette shifted dramatically. Bright color fell away, replaced by blacks, whites, creams, and earth tones. Working in transparent layers and repeated marks, I began creating large-scale paintings that mapped my internal landscape—works that reconciled agitation with calm and imposed order on chaos.
Over time, these paintings evolved into restrained, atmospheric works with a quiet authority. Their scale, layered surfaces, and ethereal quality allow them to anchor space while carrying emotional resonance.
Following the end of a long relationship, I acquired my own studio for the first time, allowing my voice to emerge without distraction. I continue to develop my layered painting practice while also exploring mixed media and collage, often incorporating fragments of previous works to give them new life and context.
At the heart of my practice is a deep commitment to the studio—listening for what wants to emerge, trusting intuition, and allowing authenticity and risk to guide the work forward. I paint most days, still fueled by the same excitement I felt as a five-year-old discovering paint for the first time.
In the News
“We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Julie Schumer a few weeks ago.”
Artist Julie Schumer on embracing the unknown, creative expression, and how art transforms. Discover surrender and self-liberation.
Story & Lesson Highlights with Julie Schumer
We recently had the chance to connect with Julie Schumer and have shared our conversation below.
Julie shares insights about her creative journey in her interview with CanvasRebel Magazine .
From Courtroom Closures to Canvas Creations: Julie Schumer’s Bold Reinvention.
Julie Schumer’s Resume
EDUCATION
1975 B.A. English, magna cum laude, UCLA, Los Angeles, California
1978 J.D., Loyola Marymount, Los Angeles, California
Art Studies at Art Institute, Los Angeles, California College of Arts and Crafts, Oakland, and with artists Robert Burridge, Mira White, Bob Winston and Ed Gilliam
GROUP SHOWS
2026, September, group show Global Art Project “Fragmentos” Madrid, Spain
2026, August, group show “We the Makers” Benicia Arts Organization, Benicia CA
2026, April, group show “Make Your Mark” Benicia Arts Organization, Benicia, CA
2025, February. group show, Drew Marc Gallery, St. Petersburg, FL
2024, March, group show, Drew Marc Gallery, St. Petersburg, FL
2023, December, 2 person show, Drew Marc Gallery, St. Petersburg, FL
2022, February, group show Wildemeyer Gallery, Tucson, AZ
2022 December, group show Jay Etkin Gallery, Memphis, TN
2020, October, 2 person show at Jennifer Perlmutter Gallery, Lafayette, CA
2020, Art2Life International Juried Exhibition (October)
2020, “Rough Around the Edges, Jen Tough Gallery (online), Santa Fe, NM
2019, “Kicking Abstract and Taking Names,” Moberg Gallery, Des Moines, IA
2018, Jennifer Perlmutter Gallery, Lafayette, CA
2017, Selby Fleetwood Gallery
2017, “Side by Side,” 2 person show at Jennifer Perlmutter Gallery, Lafayette, CA
2016, 2 person show at Louisa Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts, Lubbock, TX
ART FAIRS
2026, Hampton’s Fine Art Fair, Southampton, NY
2025, September, Art on Paper with The Mannix Project
2024, September, Art on Paper, NYC
2024, July, Art Santa Fe, Santa Fe NM
2023 Red Dot Miami, Miami Fl
2023 Art on Paper, NYC
2023, Hamptons Fine Art Fair, Southampton, NY
2023, Art Santa Fe, Santa Fe NM
2022, Hamptons Fine Art Fair, Southampton, NY
2022, Bridgehampton Art Market and Design, Bridgehampton, NY
2021, Bridgehampton Market Art and Design, Bridgehampton, NY
2021, Art San Diego Rave Virtual Fair by Redwood Art Group
2021, New York Rave Virtual Fair by Redwood Art Group
2021, Austin Rave Virtual Fair by Redwood Art Group
2020, December, Rave Miami Online show with Redwood Art Group
2020, Art Palm Springs, Palm Springs, CA
2019, Art San Diego, San Diego, CA
2018, Art San Diego, San Diego, CA
2018, Art and Design Market, Bridgehampton, NY
2018, Art Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV
2017, Art Santa Fe, Santa Fe, NM
2016, Art San Diego, San Diego, CA
MUSEUM SHOWS
2011, Group show Arlington Museum, Arlington, TX
2006, Group show Lyman Allan Museum, Stonington, CT
COLLECTIONS
2021, Tucson International Airport
AWARDS
2023 Red Dot Miami Directors Award
2019 Art San Diego Spotlight Award
2019 Art San Diego Directors Award
2017 Art Santa Fe Best Booth Design
2003 Award of Merit, Pastel Society of the Southwest, 22nd Annual Juried Exhibition
