Award ­winning artist Julia Bringhurst Blake has a drive, temperament, and ability to work across many styles, from abstract to figure. She uses vivid colors, high contrast, and bold strokes to create aesthetic and symbolic works. Blake loves to work with clients and designers to create the perfect piece for a space. She was a peer­ and client­ nominated finalist for 40 Women to Watch Over Forty, having come to this career in her middle age. Within her first year as a professional artist, she sold paintings in over 20 states and on three continents. She has trained privately at the MFA in Boston and RISD. Her art is in private collections in 20+ states, from Hawaii to Massachusetts. She was the co-­founder of The Artist Common, a place for artists of all levels to come together in a historic New England church. She lives in the Boston area with her husband and their six children, and their favorite spot in the world is a little cabin on Peabody Pond in Sebago, ME.