JULIE SIMMONS 

                                                                                  Artist Biography

     Creating, has always been my passion. I cannot remember a time when I was not creating art in some form. It has taken many paths throughout my life. I am still searching and learning new ways of expressing my creativity.

     Simmons professional career began more than 35 years ago with beginnings in oil and terra cotta sculpture. Her first commercial successes were in watercolor with a focus on flowers and portraits.

     Born in San Diego, CA Simmons was  raised from a young age in a rural community  in southeastern Missouri.   After graduating from Murray State University with a BS in Home Economics it was marriage and two children. Soon she started taking  classes with professional artists. Watercolor became her favorite medium - flowing colors, textures, responding to the sights, sounds and smells of nature.  Now she is working in other mediums as well.

     Her wire mesh figures are created  from a flat piece of  woven wire mesh which she bends with her  hands into the human form. There are no molds involved. Each piece is an original work of art. With the proper lighting the shadow created by the sculpture is very powerful with resemblance to a black & white photograph or a charcoal drawing.

     Simmons work has been featured in American Artist, Adelphean, 101 North and Phoenix  Home and Garden magazines . She has won numerous awards with her work which is exhibited in fine arts galleries and  in corporate and private collections worldwide.  In 2004 she  was the poster artist for Sedona Jazz on the Rocks which featured her painting, Jazz Series, Solo Sax.

     Commissioned pieces specific in color, size, medium and subject for the individual client and their personal needs are her specialty.
 
     For more information about pricing or commissions you can  contact Julie Simmons.

RESUME

EDUCATION

    BS, Murray State University, Murray, Kentucky

    Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, Missouri

    Workshops and Seminars: Miles Batt, Edward Betts, Virginia Cobb, Daniel Greene, Maxine Masterfield, Barbara Nechis, Charles Reid, James Godwin Scott, Frank Webb, Carole Myers

INSTALLATIONS

    Sculptured Reredos Wall, 13'6" x 7'6"
St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Sonora, CA 2003

    Sculptured Wall, 13'6" x 6'4", Jesus & The Miracle of The Loaves & Fishes,
Salem Lutheran Church, Peoria,  IL, 2003

Sculptured Reredos Wall, 13' 1 and Baptistry Wall, 7' x 9'
Hillside Village, Peoria, IL, 2003

Sculptured Reredos Wall, 13'x14', St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church,
Long Beach, CA, 2002   

    Sculptured Center and  Side Altars, 14' x39' and 19' x18' each, 
St. Lawrence The Martyr Catholic Church, 
Redondo Beach, California, 2000

    Sculptured Reredos Wall, 9'x31' with 10'  Dove, 
First United Methodist Church, Conroe, Texas, 2000

    Sculptured Reredos Wall with Dove, Zion Lutheran Church, 
Thief River Falls, Minnesota, 1999

    Sculptured Reredos Wall, 16'X24', Trinity Lutheran Church, 
Bay City, Michigan, 1997    

    Canvas Background for Reredos Wall, Peace Lutheran Church, 
St. Joseph, Michigan 1997

    Sculptured Reredos Wall, 10'X20', Peace Lutheran Church,
Neenah, Wisconsin, 1996

    Eucharistic Plaque, Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, 
Chicago, Illinois, 1996

    Four Paintings, Seasons of the Religious Calendar, 
Lutheran Church of The Atonement, Barrington, Illinois, 1995

    Sculptured Reredos Wall, 21'X35', Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 
Jenison, Michigan, 1994

    Relief Plaques of Old and New Testaments and Exterior Mosaic Plaque of
Jesus on the Sea of Galilee, 1994 

      St. Mary  by The Sea Catholic Church, Caledonia, 
Racine, Wisconsin, 1993
   

SELECTED COLLECTIONS

    Embassy Suites, La Jolla, California

    Jewish Center for the Aged, St. Louis, Missouri

 Marriott Hotels, Atlanta, Georgia

    Federal Home Bank, Atlanta, Georgia

    St. Louis Federal Savings & Loan Bank, St. Louis, Missouri

    Electrolux Corporation, Atlanta, Georgia

    Medical  Associates, Memphis, Tennessee

    Southwestern Bell, St. Louis, Missouri

    PGA West Resort Golf Club, La Quinta, California

    First Bank of Florida

    First Bank of Tennessee

    Beefmaster Breeders Universal, San Antonio, Texas

    Orthodox Academy of Crete

    Anheuser Busch, St. Louis, Missouri

    Over 300 private collections in the United States, Mexico, Japan &
Greece

EXHIBITIONS

    Sun Cities Museum, Sun City, Arizona, 1992, 1993

    Durfee Gallery, Scottsdale Arizona, 1992

    D-Zine, St. Louis, Missouri, 1988,1991,1992,1993|

    Barucci's Gallery, St. Louis, Missouri, 1990

    Abstein Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia, 1986,1987,1988,1989,1990

    East Central College, Union Missouri, 1988

    Jewish Center for the Aged, St. Louis, Missouri 1988

Shawnee College, Ullin, Illinois, 1987

    Anderson-Rippee Interiors, Memphis, Tennessee, 1987

    Watercolor '87, Invitational, St. Charles, Illinois

    Six Artists, Six States, Invitational, University of Wisconsin, 1986

    Latzer Gallery, St. Louis, Missouri, 1985,1986

    Plaza Frontenac, St. Louis, Missouri, 1984,1985

    River Heritage Museum, Cape Girardeau, Missouri, 1984

    Ralston Purina Towers, St. Louis, Missouri, 1983

    Rust & Martin, Cape Girardeau, Missouri, 1983

JURIED SHOWS

    Louisiana Watercolor International (Award)

    Kansas Watercolor Society (Award)

    Midwest Watercolor Society (Award)

    Southern Watercolor Society

    Kentucky Watercolor Society (Award)

    Georgia Watercolor Society (Award)

    Rocky Mountain National

    Woodstock National Exhibition

              North Coast Collage Society

    Taos II

    Central South Art Exhibition (Award)

    St. Louis Artists' Guild (Award)

    Pittsburgh Watercolor Society

     Watercolor Art Society - Houston

    Watercolor Missouri

    An Art Affair, St. Louis, Missouri (Award)

    Artists'  Liaison

                Society of Layerists in Multi Media

    Arizona Watercolor Society (Award)

    Arizona Artists' Guild (Award)

GALLERIES

    Objects, Scottsdale, AZ

    S. Gregg Gallery, Cape Girardeau, Missouri

     Art-Exchange.com

     SculptureCollector.com

PUBLICATIONS

    Adelphean , Winter, 1998

               Phoenix Home and Garden, Garden Talks, April, 1997

Interior Design, 1990

 Southern Accents, 1990

    American Artist, January, 1986, Watercolor Page

    Who's Who in American Art

    Who's Who in the West

    New York Art Review

    California Art Review

    Chicago Art Review

    American Artists

    International Review of Mission, Geneva Switzerland

              Architectural Design Collaborators II

    Layering, an Art of Time and Space

    Who's Who of American Women

ORGANIZATIONS

    Society of Layerists in Multi Media

    Arizona Watercolor Association

    Arizona Artists' Guild

    Sonoran Art League

TEACHING

    Group and individual instruction since 1970

        Workshops: Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum, Inc. Architects, St. Louis, Missouri

        Monroe, Louisiana Art League

        Ozark Brush & Palette Camdenton, Missouri

        Rogue Gallery, Medford, Oregon

        Artists' Guild, Sikeston, Missouri

        Lighthouse Workshops, Crescent City, California, Artist in Residence

        Left Bank Art League, Moline, Illinois

        Chowchilla, California Artists

        Leech Workshops, Sarasota, Florida

        Lakeview Museum, Peoria, Illinois

        Elder Hostel, Crescent City, California

        Central College, Union, Missouri

        Sun City, Arizona

        Sun City West, Arizona

                    Julie Simmons

Contact artist for information, pricing & commissions

Artistic Impressions - Julie Simmons was featured in the 101 North Magazine, November  2004 edition !  Story