Meet East Coast Artist Julia Messinger
Artist Julia Messinger is based on the East Coast of the US and creates the most amazing coastal themed art on a variety of non-traditional canvases such as surfboards, and surfboard fins. Read more about Julia’s art and journey below
Meet Julia Messinger
Hii! I’m a coastal-inspired artist currently living on the East Coast. I’ve had a relationship with art for as long as I can remember, always drawing, painting, and creating. In 2020, the pandemic hit full force; I was graduating from college and just didn’t know where to place myself in the world. I just kept creating and doing what I love to do and soon realized that I could make a career from my art. I’ve always been into the coastal art theme and painting surfboards. Recently I stumbled upon a bunch of old/broken fins, which I then started to paint and sell. They were a hit and became the catalyst for starting my career as an artist.
Influences and future creative endeavours
Nature has been a huge influence and inspiration for me and the subjects that I love to paint. Another big influence for the creation of my work was my experience of going to college in the city of Charleston, SC. Charleston really opened my eyes to the possibilities of being an entrepreneur. Everything was centered around supporting local businesses and creatives, which gave me the confidence to turn my art into a career. A creative endeavor I’m still hoping to tackle is to open up a gallery or store of my own one day.
A love of acrylics
I mainly create my pieces with acrylic paint; I love the fast dry time and layering techniques that come with the medium. I also love using acrylic because it’s easy to apply and translates well on a variety of surfaces!
My art Journey
My art journey has evolved a ton over the past few years. When I first started, painting was really just a hobby, and now it’s now a major component of my daily routine. Since becoming a full-time artist, I’ve seen significant growth in my technical skills and ability to create pieces efficiently. From spending so much more time practicing, my style has also gotten more refined, and I learned what subjects I have the most passion for painting. Some goals I have for the year are to paint more murals and create a series of original canvas works!
Greatest life lesson
A great life lesson I’ve learned is actually from a Dr. Seuss quote, “those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.” I think that it’s a great lesson to keep in the back of your head, especially when doing something out of the “normal” job path. Anyone who judges/questions you in a negative sense doesn’t matter, and it’s important to focus energy on the positivity from those who support what you’re passionate about.
Biggest art ‘wins’ or ‘successes’
I think calling something a big win can be relative to different people. I can’t necessarily pinpoint one, but there have been so many small wins along the way that helped me towards growing as an artist. Some of these wins have been from selling out of my painted fin drops to expanding my retail presence.
Advice for a budding artist?
A: Go for it!!! There’s nothing better than being able to share your art and creativity with others. Another piece of advice I would give is don’t be too hard on yourself; it may take a bit to figure things out, so lean into failures and enjoy the process of trial and error.
Where can we find your work, and how can readers best support your creative journey?
My work can be found on my Instagram @julsmess.art and website www.julsmess.com, where you can purchase original works or commission a custom piece! 
Quickfire questions:
- Guilty pleasure? — cape cod potato chips
- Bad Habit? — biting my nails
- What’s on your Bucket List? — scuba with sharks
- Current song on repeat? — $10 by Good Morning
- Biggest Inspiration — the ocean
- Quote to live by : “it’s all relative”
