Julé Jackson is Our Radish Girl Illustrator
Julé Jackson is a published watercolor artist and illustrator. She currently lives in Houston with her husband, Ben Jackson, who is an international-award-winning professional magician and keynote speaker. Julé has done many illustrations for Edible Houston, including the one that became an Edible Houston partner, and Local Hero Award, logo: the radish.
Where did you go to college for graphic design?
I attended Texas A&M University and studied architectural theory, creative studies and film history. While in my junior year, out of pure curiosity, I decided to teach myself graphic design and began by sitting for hours in Barnes & Noble with my little laptop and working through a book literally called Illustrator for Dummies. By the time I graduated I knew enough about graphic design software to become an independent contractor.
What did you like about graphic designing?
When I was a full-time graphic designer, I enjoyed the limitless possibilities for learning. Adobe Illustrator, InDesign and Photoshop are my software of choice and these programs are extremely robust. Every time I sat down to work I would learn a new skill, trick or work-around. I’m an extremely curious person and so the consistent opportunity to learn something new kept the field of graphic design interesting for me. Also, creating a product for my client that would successfully convey their messaging or idea was very gratifying. That’s still what I enjoy most about making any type of art: creating something for someone that looks “just like they pictured it” is a huge joy for me.
What did you not like about graphic design? (In other words, what made you switch?)
After working in graphic design for six years, I grew tired of the “exactness” of digital art. Graphic design programs allowed me to create and place graphics with absolute precision. For example, Adobe programs allow you to literally edit each and every pixel in a photograph, which is amazing, but over time I found that impressive level of control to be stifling instead of inspiring. I wanted to get physically closer to my work and experience more of the rough, textured process with my own hands.
Why watercolor as medium?
Honestly, I originally chose watercolor because I’m frugal. After working with many different types of paint I thought, “Wow, watercolor can go a long way!” Not a very inspired beginning, but I’ve since found that watercolor perfectly fits my style of illustration and meets my desire for less control and more spontaneity in my artistic experience.
What are your favorite things to paint?
My favorite subjects are botanicals: cactus, succulents, persimmons, rosemary, peonies and basically anything else that grows. Blackberries, although very time consuming, are one of the most gratifying plants to paint because they can turn out so juicy.
Watercolor “app”: What is it and what can it do?
Although I don’t create the majority of my artwork on a computer anymore, I do use computers to edit final images and upload finished pieces to my website. Also, I’ve recently discovered a way to merge a bit of the wildness and unpredictability of watercolor with the pros of creating artwork on a computer—pros like the “undo” or “delete” button! A phenomenal digital artist and friend of my husband, Sterling Morris, introduced me to Kyle T. Webster’s Photoshop brushes. These digital brushes mimic the look of watercolor. Although they don’t have the infinite range of texture that real watercolor does, they’re a pretty good imitation. I will use digital watercolor instead of traditional when a project may need revisions or several iterations—like the Agricultural Map I made for Edible Houston. While working within the digital space, I am constantly fighting the computer’s natural bent to create uniformity and perfection. I still prefer the wild nature of true, traditional watercolor and, although it isn’t as easy to fix mistakes in traditional watercolor, I find that sometimes my “mistakes” actually make the finished piece unique and interesting.
Plant It Forward contract: Tell me more about it!
Last year, Plant It Forward Farms commissioned me to create three plant illustrations for a promotional poster they were putting together to raise awareness for the local farms of Houston. I was honored and excited to work with Plant It Forward Farms because they help refugees and give them a chance to support themselves by owning and operating small, sustainable farms. It was gratifying to collaborate with other local artists and, together, use our artistic effort to support a community of people who are new to Houston and are working very hard to make a life for their families.
How would you describe your style?
My artistic style is minimalistic, natural and playful. I absolutely love color, but I also like to give my work a generous amount of “breathing room,” or white space. Classical botanical illustrators like Margaret Mee inspire this facet of my style very much. When I visualize painting a particular plant, I always see it as a textbook-style illustration first: visually neat, including all of the plant’s various elements, and surrounded by a white page. Painting directly from life is also part of my style because I always try to include some of the infinitely varied imperfections found in nature. Realistic subjects like a cherry tree with a couple bruised flowers and a few broken branches are the most interesting illustrations, because they are not picture perfect, but beautifully flawed and accessible.
