Original & Commissioned Art
Almost always with big brushes.
The majority of my original and commissioned pieces are oil paintings, but I also frequently work in watercolour and pastel, depending on the particular requirements of my subject, or client.As for my style, from abstract to architectural paintings I aim to make my work as simple as possible but no simpler. And as for scale, I’m equally at home working on a very large linen canvas or a small board, though almost always with big brushes.My commissioned pieces are essentially collaborative creations, where the personal connection, specific desires and vision of my clients demand a different emphasis; one where finding and expressing a singular feeling or meaning is the great challenge.
Pet & Animal Portraits
In search of the whole story.
If a likeness is all we look for in a portrait, then we risk mistaking a small part of the truth for the whole of the story. The best portraits go far beyond mere likeness, they feed on our memories and our heartfelt imagination – and in return they offer us a love story.In their way, skilled artists are masters of storytelling, they thrive on the incomplete, aiming to withhold everything but the essence, while they craft emotion with every expressive brushstroke.If we’ve been fortunate enough to be invited by a special animal to play our part in the their lives, we often reach for these artistic storytelling skills when we feel the need to express and preserve our love, and that demands the whole of the story – a love for life story.
About Julia
... in as few words as possible.
It has become fashionable for the artist to become so tightly entangled with their art that we often struggle to separate the two. For most artists, however, it’s more than enough to endlessly agonise over each and every opinion on their art, let alone the artist. So, in as few words as possible, here I am.I’ve been a professional artist for almost 25 years; my work has been exhibited in galleries, solo, national, and international exhibitions. I’ve loved, and hated, my art – often in equal measure, and at the same time.My main artistic focus, revealed to me perhaps in hind-sight, has been storytelling; and, as we all know, the best stories always end with a question … “what happens next?”
Julia Noble Design
My artistic interests naturally led me to progress my illustrative work into animation, exploring another way of presenting a storytelling arc. Being an animator has taught me a great deal about the nature and creation of relationships, insights which find their way into my paintings, which are in turn folded back into my animation.
Architectural Drawings & Paintings
"... quietly telling our life story."
We tell our story with people and places; we hang their likeness on our walls, prop them on our furniture, or joyfully share them. The every-day treasures that we choose to preserve, all quietly telling our life story.Art has the power to reveal what familiarity hides from us, softly renewing how we experience and create our world. The significance of a time and place that’s special to us echos in a painting, gently inviting us to return, to feel our way back there in a way that a photograph never can.I’ve painted hundreds of architectural pieces, from homes to hotels, skyscrapers to ruins, workplaces to churches, and more; and I firmly believe that a painting of a special place leaves enough unsaid for us to return – as if we’d never left.
Find yourself occasionally informed, with my once in a while art & making magazine.
An irregular dip into the world of an artist, maker, and creative pretender. Where artistic triumphs and disasters rub unlikely elbows with exclusive offers, and the odd giveaway competition.
Fine Art Framing
"... whether you create or simply enjoy art, framing really matters!"
Framing at its best, is both art and craft. I’ve been framing for almost as long as I’ve been creating art, and have found that only hand finished and detailed framing truly offers me the freedom to marry art and craft in framing.My hand finished framing is artisan crafted from bare wood, artist finished with Farrow & Ball water based paints, or wood stains, and finally detailed with various paint and gilding options.
Find out more about my Environmentally Friendly Hand Finished Framing; standard & bespoke framing products, along with my Sample & Free Framing Advisory Services by clicking below, or shop online.
Courses, Workshops & Tuition
Imagine Yourself Creative.
My experience as an art tutor has convinced me that the greatest obstacle to creativity is rarely the student. Learning a new skill, especially a creative one can be a challenge – but also immensely rewarding.I’m launching a new range of creative courses & workshops, these will be available on-line, and in-person at my studio in North Yorkshire, and are particularly aimed at beginners; though they’ll cater for other skill levels too.If you’ve ever imagined yourself creative, perhaps learning to; draw, printmake, paint in watercolour, pastel or oils, or … and you have a minute to spare, I’d be very grateful if you’d click the link below and let me know how you imagine expressing yourself in art.I’ll be offering some creatively discounted pricing in return for your help. Thank you!
Creativity is not some rare gift reserved for a special few, we’re all creators capable of enriching our lives – you just have to Imagine Yourself Creative to remember how.
On Art & Making
Latest Posts
Me, Myself & AI – Art in An Artificial Age
Artificial Intelligence - is it just another over-hyped technology which once again seems to do less with more? Given my particular creative interests I was curious to know if extinction really is…
Penguins to Poodles – Practically Perfect Pet Portraits
The most important step in commissioning a pet or animal portrait is in creating the image(s) that I'll be working from. A clear, high-quality image is the foundation of bringing their characters and…
Impostor Syndrome and the Quiet Rebellion of Creativity
It's hard not to find yourself nodding in sympathy when you hear tales of artistic confidence crushed, or creative impulses lured into doom spirals - all at the urging of a self-sabotaging inner…
These are a few of my favourite (art) things – wrapped up in brown paper and string. Pt 1.
There’s something undeniably lovely about brown paper and string. Maybe it’s the nostalgia - a nod to a slower, simpler time. Or maybe it’s the quiet excitement of unwrapping something that’s been…
Framing Made Easy(er) – My Top 5 Framing Tips
Over the years, I’ve noticed the same questions and challenges come up again and again in framing clients artwork. So here are my top framing tips - straight from the JNA studio to help you get…
Imagine Yourself Creative – It’s Easier if You Believe.
When we think of what it takes to be creative, we often picture someone else. We imagine a painter in a sunlit studio, a novelist lost in thought at a café, a musician surrounded by half-filled…
