Iulia Oprea – Featured Artist

Iulia Oprea – Featured Artist

The best word to describe Iulia’s work is stunning. She creates beautifully beaded necklaces, earrings and bracelets that wonderfully incorporate seed-beads, cabochon, ribbons and lots of color. Learn more below about what inspires Iulia to create.  You can see more of her work on her website Bohemian Scene or follow her on Facebook @BohemianScene.

Why do you make art?
Bead embroidery and the creation process make me disconnect mentally from every day life and I get absorbed in it. It’s my world “far from the madding crowd”.

What does your artwork represent to you? What does it mean to you?
I always loved classic painting, artists like Rembrandt, Elisabeth Vigée Lebrun, Alphonse Mucha or Klimt. I discovered some amazing Russian artists who paint miniatures on shell, mostly inspired by those great classic masters. When I make a piece using one of these components, I am creating art from art. All this brings me closer to a subject I love.

What inspires you?
Faces, portraits masterfully created. Silver screen divas, painted ladies or serene porcelain goddesses like those by Diane Briegleb. There are magical stories in facial expressions!

Why do you use certain materials? 
My style evolved from simple bead embroidery to sort of mixed media pieces. Besides crystals, gemstones and beads, I like incorporating laces, velvet, fabric, silk ribbon in my jewelry. A variety of materials creates more texture which ultimately makes the pieces more interesting and more elaborate.

What’s your favorite artwork?
My favorite artwork is Leonardo DaVinci’s “La Belle Ferronnière”. I had a hard time walking away from it in the Louvre.

What’s your Background?
I am at my third professional life. I was a dentist, an interior designer and now I am doing design support in a manufacturing company. I lived in three countries on two continents. But I am an artist at heart. I have a secret life :-).

You can see more of Iulia’s work on her website Bohemian Scene or follow her on Facebook @BohemianScene.