Ed Julian
Ed Julian taught industrial design at the University of Kansas for more than twenty-five years before moving to Chicago to become dean of the International Academy of Design & Technology. A U.S. Navy veteran, Ed had a great love for marine painting.
I met Ed at a garage sale when I was 11 years old. In a brief conversation I found that Ed had worked for decades as a commercial artist and teacher, and he found out that I was a budding young artist. He invited me to return with some of my work, and being one of the first professional artists I had met, I eagerly went back.
Over the next seven years in his garage studio I gained a wealth of foundational knowledge and a lifelong friend. We covered everything from watercolor technique to perspective drawing, which quickly became the main event of my school notebooks & folders.
Once in Ed’s backyard I was listening to him describe all of the red colors he saw in the foliage around his house. I wondered if the scotch in his hand was helping him––the bushes looked green to me! That was my introduction to seeing complex color. (And he was right…even the greenest leaves contain red).Ed had a healthy outlook on the world and a good sense of humor. When I turned 12, Ed told me he was excited for me, because I would soon figure out what kind of wine and women I liked. I didn't quite know what to say.
Ed never ceased to be a living embodiment of generosity, giving both his time and materials––loading me up early on with an endless inventory of drawing and painting materials which I am still hacking away at today (including some obscure antiques from the golden days of illustration which I have never figured out what they are). Ed was a constant encouragement throughout my early years, and recently framed my Standing Figure for its world tour in 2003 before he left us early the following year.
Thanks for everything, Ed.
My
Mentors
Ed
Julian
Gary Fasen
Bill Utterback
Ron DiCianni
Jered Woznicki
Michael John Angel