Julie Bourne

Pregnancy motivates artist to pursue dream
Langley artist Julie Bourne's inspiration kicked in 10 years ago.
Poonam Bains, Langley Advance
Published: Friday, August 03, 2007

When she was pregnant with her son 10 years ago, Julie Bourne said it changed her life. That is when she became inspired and decided to stop waiting and followed her life-long dream of being an artist. "I always wanted to do it," Bourne said. "So I did." Julie Bourne poses with her horse statue that she will be entering in the Fort Langley Artists Group show that begins Saturday, Aug. 4.
Her pregnancy inspired her to take four pottery courses which in turn developed her skill for the medium. She specializes in raku and luster glazed clay work. She works on an array of pieces but her subject matter mainly consists of horses, fish, maple leaves and flowers. "I always loved horses," she said. "It only seemed natural that when I got into clay that I would make them." However, as life goes on, Bourne progresses with the work she does. "I really think the older you get, the more you change," added Bourne.

Recently she shifted her abilities into a different type of medium. She is now also a jewelry maker, producing lamp-work beads. She started it because her friend liked her artwork and Bourne liked the jewelry her friend made. Bourne gave her one of her pieces in exchange for a jewelry making lesson. "And then I'm hooked," Bourne said of her new-found art form. "Now I'm doing that too." She is now a skilled artisan and makes the jewelry from her studio in Brookswood. Items include earrings, necklaces and bracelets, ranging in price from $20 to 80.

Pottery and jewelry design takes a back seat when she works her regular job for BC Ferries. Her five days on and five days off schedule gives her plenty of time to concentrate on her art and family. Her son Clayton also dabbles in a little bit of art as he sometimes keeps mom company while she is doing her art. Bourne said that the clay and bead work she does is therapeutic for her. "It's like therapy for me," she said. "Literally I forget about everything and get into what I am doing." She says she would love to concentrate on her art full-time, but due to circumstances is unable to at this moment. Her inspiration comes from everyday life. She likes to observe people at work and people going about their everyday lives.

Two accomplished artists who have inspired her are Bill Reid and Robert Bateman. She told the Langley Advance of one incident when she got to meet Reid. In her 20s, Bourne was living on the Queen Charlotte Islands and was tending bar. One night Reid walked in and ordered a drink from her. He offered to design a gold bracelet for her and all she would have to pay was the price of the gold, and his labour would be free. At the time the $700 bracelet seemed too pricey for Bourne, but today she regrets not accepting the offer. "If I had gone I would have been inspired," she said.

Today she has found a local support system to be inspired by; Bourne is part of the Fort Langley Artists Group. "It's nice to be part of a group that understands," she said. Since majority of the shows are themed, it gives Bourne a little push to try something new. "They get you to step out of the box," she said. "They are a good group."