Julia von metzsch

Julia von Metzsch offers a body of work that is vigorous and distinctive. Her paintings are primarily seascapes done on site from Massachusetts’ north shore. Islands, trees, and rocks all come in and out of view, but what is most mysterious is the atmosphere and movement von Metzsch is able to capture. Von Metzsch uses transparent layers of paint to achieve depth and illusion, creating a tension particularly well suited to the ever-changing New England weather. Fantastical and prism-like clouds become one with the motion of the waves. Patterns one normally sees in the wind-driven waves are reflected in von Metzsch’s blustery skies. Von Metzsch’s excitement about the work comes from growing up nearby and seeing the ever-changing landscape on a daily basis.

Von Metzsch received her BA in 2007 and Masters in 2010 in Fine Arts from Boston University, and then returned to Boston University as a MFA Painting Fellow at the School of Visual Arts. von Metzsch is in the collection of Danforth Art.

“I view these landscapes as a sort of escapism from the confined domesticity of motherhood and as a parallel to the joy and astonishment of motherhood; it is such a divine experience to watch my children grow, and I feel the same about observing and painting from nature.” - Julia von Metzsch