Artist Julia Lucich began a series in 1995 she calls The Party Animal, with a painting of giraffes from a photo taken by her husband. It presented a compelling composition, but the palette of brown and tan animals in a monochrome background left Lucich snoozing at the easel.
The Party Stands its Ground, acrylic on canvas, 60 x 48”
“Finally, in an effort to energize the image, I chose to push color over the edge, but with the goal of having the animals remain true to form, yet still ‘lifelike,’” Lucich says. “Upon completion, I titled the painting Party Animals.”
A Party Buffet, acrylic on canvas, 40 x 60”
There’s something about the use of unexpected color that adds an energy and whimsy to the series. “My goal is to have them seem as alive—as ‘real’ as any painted with authentic color,” Lucich explains. “Essentially, I’m painting them as though Mother Nature had changed her palette.”
The Party Stays Strong, acrylic on canvas, 20 x 30”
As a painter it can be difficult to avoid being pigeon-holed. Unquestionably, Lucich’s Party Animal series is the body of work that she’s best known, but it’s certainly not all that she chooses to paint. She adds, “In fact, what drew me to painting is portraiture, and it remains one of my favorite subjects.”
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