THE ARTS
T hinking ARTISTS BRINGS VISION TO LIFE
OUTSIDE THE BOX
Story by CONNYE GRIFFIN | Photography by AL GRIFFIN
THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX ARE WORDS URGING PEOPLE TO SEE PROBLEMS WITH FRESH, BRIGHT EYES. For Julia Jameson Barton, artist
in residence at Artful-Elements, her own Laurie studio, those words are just a starting point. She believes in living outside the box so that she can bring her artistic visions to life.
WHERE ALL IS RESIDENT
Barton’s studio in Laurie is ArtfulElements. A tour proves she is an artist living outside the box. While some artists work exclusively in one medium or another, Barton prefers to embrace all the possibilities of canvas, acrylic, resins, glass, beads, jewelry, clay, and wood. Thus, when asked what her favorite medium is, she answers “all.” She has even added 21st-century materials as well. Using a 3D printer, she transforms her own sketches and photographs into textured, intricate sculptures. A studio tour also reveals Baron’s primary inspiration: nature. One piece celebrates Missouri’s state bird and tree. On wood fencing, she captured a bluebird on a flowering dogwood branch for art celebrating her Missouri home. “My Slice of the Lake” is a resin sculpture showing the water’s color, rock, and branches. This piece inspired a commission for the Big Spring’s clean-up on the Current River. She will produce a comparable piece to commemorate that annual event held in the fall.
SEE A NEED, FILL A NEED
Sometimes Barton’s artistic vision requires materials unavailable to her so she develops them. Her motto is “see a need, fill a need.” Two in the trademark
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Julia Jameson Barton
pipeline are Fusion Film and Jazzy Glass. The first, Fusion Film, adds texture and depth to everyday objects such as jewelry, ink pens, butterflies, and flowers. Fusion Film catches the light like the finest opals do and transforms ordinary pieces into extraordinary ones. Jazzy Glass is another of her innovations. It is safety glass in the colors of nature and has used it to create geodes, Christmas trees, and ocean waves, each for The Juliart, an ArtfulElements series on YouTube where viewers can watch as projects move stepby-step from raw materials to completed art. Her tips and suggestions are easy to follow. She also provides ideas to personalize each piece. SNEAK-A-PEEK EVENTS
For those reluctant to shop or even search online, Sneak-a-Peek events is an idea that grew from an observation and letter Barton created as a teen. At the age of 17 Barton was fond of a television program titled “Aleene’s Creative Liv-
ing.” The program showed viewers how to use new products for crafts and art, but those products were not sold in local stores. Thinking outside the box and refusing to accept limits, she wrote directly to Aleene’s, asking the company to consider the heart of heartlands — places with smaller populations often overlooked in favor of bigger markets. She let Aleene’s know how far local artists and crafters travel to procure the products featured and assured the company if her peers had access to those products, they would deliver honest reviews Aleene’s could use. Someone at Aleene’s was convinced. Soon after penning the letter, Barton received cartons of product to test and share. Now a couple of decades later, many suppliers send her new and innovative products not available locally. She shares these with Sneak-a-Peek participants who have reserved a spot. ART ALL AROUND THE LAKE
Barton is a founding member of the Lake of the Ozarks Visual Arts Organization. Members of this new 501c3 hope to install art all around the Lake area. Members know how many lanes and roads lead not just to the water’s edge, but also to artists working with fiber, paint, wood, and metal. The organization would like to “build awareness for the arts,” awareness of all the talent right here at home. One idea is to collaborate with municipalities and the Missouri’s Department of Transportation to install sculpture around the Lake. Another is
