On Saturday, Sept. 21, renowned British artist Julia Gash held a live painting session at the UMass Store in honor of Homecoming Weekend. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., visitors could watch her paint landmarks of UMass and request signed artworks. Students may recognize her depictions of UMass and the state of Massachusetts through her exclusive collection in the campus store.
According to product descriptions on the store website, Gash’s artwork, “… specializes in capturing the character and cultural heritage of the places she draws.” Her work includes various cities, countries, regions and schools illustrated for souvenirs and merchandise, each depicting playful renditions of the locations’ attractions and culture. Keen admirers of her art may notice a distinct style of line drawings, flat colors, vibrant palettes and an emphasis on text in different fonts.
Gash has loved art her whole life, but her passion for travel began with a childhood trip around Europe. The palaces and mountains she saw left a deep impression on her, and her father, a printmaker, encouraged her and her sister to record their trips in travel journals. At the end of each day, they would draw and write what they had seen,
However, Gash did not begin her artistic career with her iconic travel prints. The opportunity for a breakout came in 2012 while she was running a manufacturing company in Sheffield, England, working with fair trade companies in India and printing tote bags for British retailers. The retailer partners were unable to secure new artwork from their design departments, so Gash volunteered to take on the contract. At the time, all eyes were on London, England as the Summer Olympics were underway. Gash chose to reflect the vibrant landmarks and history through a playful map of the city.
The “very first Cityscape” on her website is a love letter to London’s culture: Big Ben and Trafalgar Square share the space with pigeons, afternoon tea and street performers. Eventually, a Japanese distributor requested more city designs, and Gash closed her manufacturing company to focus on her cityscapes. Her collegiate series began when a licensee in Chicago, Neil Varsity Line, began to reach out to schools nationwide. Gash has now worked on over 600 collaborations.
The process for her collegiate work begins with a design brief. Gash requests from her client essential symbols and photo references; animals, mascots, school traditions and buildings can all be included. In the UMass design, the campus pond, the library falcons and Mullins Center can be seen. Once the elements are decided, Gash works traditionally with ink and paint, using a thin brush on smooth paper.
“I like the fact that…there is a constant battle to control it as the ink flows,” Gash said. At the live painting session, she smoothly curved the words “Stockbridge Hall” with her brush; to Gash, there is a relationship between the brush and artist as you tell it where to go.
Gash continues to also paint cityscapes, although her busy schedule has prevented her from traveling much recently. She has visited Hong Kong, Paris and Tokyo several times for business, although she says her favorite place will always be “the last one, wherever that may be.” During our conversation, she described her trip to Greece with friends last May, hiking the Peloponnese mountains among alpine trees. She currently works from her seaside home with her two cats and chickens. You can read more about her career and see her artwork on her official website, or visit the UMass Store to see her UMass and Massachusetts-themed designs.
Gabriel Kelman can be reached at [email protected]
