MILWAUKEE — What's fascinating about the creative process is that an artist can take an abstract idea in their mind, turn it into a unique 3-dimensional collage, and then use that as inspiration for an abstract painting. And that's exactly what the artist-in-residence at Saint Kate - The Arts Hotel is doing.
When you step into Julia Bradfish's studio, you're walking into the world of an abstract contemporary artist.
"Like I'm inspired by color palettes that I see in the world. And it's not just pretty things that you see. A lot of people will think, 'oh, sunsets,' but I'm inspired by the random rubble from construction sites," Bradfish, the artist-in-residence at the Saint Kate, said.
For the uninitiated, it can feel like there is a lot going on in her paintings. But Julia has a simple way of breaking it down.
"It really just reflects that balance of chaos versus control."
Yes, that's still kind of abstract. Think about it like this: For one of her paintings, she threw a bunch of paint onto the canvas, and let it drip. That paint spill is juxtaposed to more familiar and rigid shapes like rectangles.
Her residency at the Saint Kate has allowed her to work on bigger-scale projects, host artist workshops, and give tours of the hotel's art gallery. Guests are encouraged to go into the studio and talk to her.
"I like to be the person that opens up that question, or opens up that conversation, where they feel okay to ask those questions of, 'what am I looking at over here?' so that's been a fun role for me," Bradfish said.
"She's actually making history at the Saint Kate because she's going to be their first-ever back-to-back artist-in-residence.
"And, yea, I get to do my practice full time. Mentioning of the starving artist, it's great to do this full time and really bite into my practice and take it to that next level," Bradfish said.
This allows Bradfish to leave her second job and just focus on her art. That's a dream come true for an artist who just graduated from UW-Milwaukee in 2023. Bradfish's extension means she will be able to make more art, maybe even bigger pieces, and host more workshops.
One of the attributes she says contributed to her success isn't just her artistic ability but her stubbornness.
"I think that's something that a lot of people will frown upon, but I think stubbornness is really good in fine art because it forces you to fail, and fall flat on your face, and then get up and be like, okay, well we gotta do something from here," she said
Being an artist is tough. Trial and error is an integral part of the creative process. And Bradfish embraces it all. That's just one of the reasons why her residency at the Saint Kate was extended.
To learn more about attending her workshops or visiting the studio, click here.
Watch the story below to see more of her art...
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