Julia Jaakola, formally trained Visual Artist, earned her B.F.A. degree in Illustration, from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, CA, 1989. She worked as a freelance illustrator and graphic artist in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Julia’s passion to keep our national landscapes pristine called Jaakola to teach, earning a B.S. degree, Summa Cum Laude, in Elementary Education, grades 1-5, Communication Arts and Literature, grades 6-8, Bemidji State University, 2003. Julia earned her Visual Art Education license, grades 1-12, from the Minnesota Department of Education, 2008.
Jaakola discovered the grace and strength of plein’ air painting in 2014. She eventually transitioned out of the public classroom, and into “God’s Studio painting in outdoor natural environments,” she explained.
“I love the songs of the woods, blending upward visually in light. I love the tangle of past decades emerging out of the earth, contrasting the past with the present. The layering of time embodies a fascinating tapestry, driving my pursuit to capture the sense of what is this place saying now? And what has happened here?” Jaakola’s responses to the natural environment, through transparent watercolors, relate the spirit of each place with eloquence and accuracy.
Julia Jaakola is a member of the Arizona Plein Air Painters, Outdoor Painters of Minnesota, and she is a Signature Status member of the Minnesota Watercolor Society. Jaakola enjoys hiking in the Southwest US, canoeing, and hearing the wolves howl.