Julie Fakler creates vibrant original domestic animal portraits in clay and acrylic paint. She received individual artist grants from the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council: 2011, 2014, 2017, and Creative Support for Individuals grant from MSAB 2021, 2023.

Fakler is the Visual Arts & Education Director at the Paradise Center for the Arts, and sits on the SEMAC Arts Advisory Panel. Yes, Julie will create a portrait of your pet.

Pottery for me is a way to relax and let my mind wander. It is, and always has been, a therapy. I teach pottery, sharing my knowledge with others, as well as create pottery. Some of my pieces have a bit of whimsy and others are for everyday use, but all are meant to be handled, used, or displayed. Pottery takes me back to the earth and the basics and makes time slow or stop when I work. Relaxing…

My observation of the beauty of nature and the tiny creatures and small flora that inhabited my surroundings began in my childhood. I delighted in the minute details of a dragonfly, a ladybug, toads, dewdrops, and emerging fiddleheads.

As an artist, via mediums of photography, clay and fiber, my work focuses on the small details often overlooked by others. I endeavor to elicit in others an appreciation for the less obvious and to encourage others to take a closer look at the natural world.

Texture, shape and color all tell a story. I hope my work will be interesting to look at, but also to touch and hold. Whether a mug for daily use or a piece meant to be strictly decorative, I hope to have each piece draw a person’s attention and bring them joy.

I approach each new pot just as I would the sculptures I created out of clay. In the past, I always worked in a series. Each new sculpture was similar to the last, but the work was always evolving in new directions with each iteration. I have always liked to push clay to its maximum potential even at the risk of failure. Sometimes the pots do not work out, but the payoff for pushing my skills and the medium to the limit is always rewarded tenfold.