Jools (b. 1970) is an Australian artist working with mixed media on canvas. The colorful mixed media works are a multi-layered pastiche of urbanism, pop culture and references to art history. Jools’ raw aesthetic is fascinating to explore as she arranges disparate images of inner-city iconography including graffiti, brickwork and signage among swaths of vivid color. “For me,” explains Jools, “every city street is a different visual feast and the combinations, interpretations and possibilities for them are simply endless.” Recently Jools has been combining her mixed media paintings with installation elements of film, music and neon lights in order to bring her visions out into real space and allow audiences to experience her creative world in a more tangible way. An avid traveler, Jools has lived in France, Greece, and the Caribbean before settling down in her native Australia. Though raised in the city, she now works from her studio on a picturesque farm in rural Victoria. Jools’ burgeoning art career has been strengthened by private and corporate sales. She won the Victorian Woman's Award for the "Walk of Art" in 2008. She is represented by Anne Runhardt Fine Art (Melbourne, Australia), Agora Gallery (New York City), and Prachi Bhaumik (Dubai, Emirates).
Jools (Julia Bland) was recently featured in a DATELINE NBC feature story entitled "A Step Too Far".