“So much feeling in so few strokes” (E.T.S.)
Return to Source was a solo exhibition of ink paintings inspired by daily walks through forests and ravines—a practice of slowing down, paying attention, and returning to the natural world.
Presented in September 2026 at the Barlow Room Gallery within the beautifully restored Royal Hotel in Picton, Ontario, the exhibition offered visitors a quiet space to pause, breathe, and spend time with the paintings.
The paintings were created primarily with black sumi ink on paper. Some also included natural inks made from plants, nuts, and blooms gathered on my walks. Gathering these materials became part of the process, allowing the landscape to enter the work directly.
The Barlow Room Gallery offered a quiet space to spend time with the paintings. Visitors were invited to slow down, look closely, and notice the marks, the spaces between them, and what emerged in the stillness.
Gallery Gatherings: Art, Sound & Stillness
Throughout the exhibition, a series of gatherings extended the experience beyond looking at the paintings, creating opportunities for shared presence, reflection, and connection.
On September 20, Return to Source: An Afternoon of Art & Sound brought together visual art and live music. Teilhard Frost performed on African harp (ngoni), didgeridoo, and flute, creating an immersive sound experience within the gallery. The afternoon also included an artist talk and an opportunity for visitors to meet Julie and learn more about the work and the process behind it.
Sunday morning guided meditations offered another way to experience the exhibition. Held in the gallery on Sunday mornings throughout September, these gatherings invited participants to begin their day with a quiet practice of presence, sharing a moment of stillness within the space and in the company of the paintings.
Return to Source: Living Creatively
The spirit of the exhibition also extended into a creative workshop co-facilitated by Julie and local author Sarah Selecky. Hosted by County Arts at the Armoury in Picton on September 18, Return to Source: Living Creatively invited participants to explore their own creative lives and reconnect with the possibilities that emerge when we make room to slow down, notice, and create.
Across the exhibition and its accompanying gatherings, Return to Source reflected an ongoing thread in Julie’s work: the relationship between attention and creativity, nature and mark-making, stillness and expression.
At its heart, the exhibition was an invitation to return—to the natural world, to the present moment, and to the quiet space from which creativity can emerge.
