Julie Hammerquist has enjoyed creating art from an early age. Her love of art has guided her path through life. Professionally, she has been a technical illustrator, an architectural illustrator, a graphic artist, and a digital artist. She has since returned to her roots as a professional artist. The various media she enjoys include watercolor, acrylic, pastels, graphite and ink. You can view Julie's current work at www.hammerquist.us. She has a new found passion in teaching art to all ages. "It is so exciting and rewarding to see the artist emerge in everyone, regardless of age. I truly enjoy sharing my love of art and skills with children." She finds it so rewarding to turn an "I can't do it" into a big smile of pride and accomplishment. Working with her students, she finds herself exploring new techniques and having an even greater appreciation of art in all forms. Julie also does commission paintings. Being an avid boater, she specializes in custom portraits of boats and yachts. Growing up on Day Island in Tacoma, Washington, boating was a big part of her family life. "Sketching boats gives me the serenity of actually being on the water. While painting in my studio, I imagine I am painting from the cockpit of our boat." She uses fluid acrylic as a transparent medium for her illustrative work. She enjoys working with fellow boaters learning about their boat and sharing cruising stories. Julie's other work is inspired by her travels abroad and nature. She visited many museums and enjoyed learning about different cultures while living in Europe. She brought memories of her travels home in the form of sketches. She also loves gardening, and enjoys exploring color and form in her paintings of flowers. For these expressions of her art, she enjoys a looser style of painting by combining watercolor and pastels.