Artist hopes to be ambassador for Chicago sizzling canine stands via nostalgic work

CHICAGO — Within the portray studio at her Logan Sq. condominium, Chicago artist Julia Hagen reminisced concerning the quite a few sizzling canine stands she’s visited in her quest to color as many as she’s ready. She quipped that pleasure and nostalgia weren’t the one issues that encourage her colourful works.

“I believe the recent canine fuels the portray,” Hagen stated. “I believe it makes the portray higher.”

Hagen has shipped her unique work all around the nation, and hundreds like and touch upon her work on social media. Her present challenge took off when a portray of her neighborhood sizzling canine stand, Crimson Sizzling Ranch, went viral on Reddit.

“I simply bought this concept: ‘Properly, what if I painted another stands?'” Hagen stated. “It feels actually particular to really feel slightly bit, like a tiny smidge of an envoy of the Chicago sizzling canine in any capability, not less than within the artwork house.”

Her father enrolled her in courses at The Artwork Institute of Chicago as a child, and she or he confirmed promise as an artist. A stint as a pre-med scholar at Boston Faculty left her unfulfilled, and she or he returned to the Artwork Institute as an grownup, portray at her dad and mom’ dwelling whereas nannying.

“I simply saved following my pleasure,” Hagen stated. “Coming again to what introduced me pleasure has all the time led to one thing superb.”

An early affect on Hagen was achieved artist Lucie Phillips. A household good friend who painted with and inspired her as a baby, Phillips gifted Hagen artwork provides and a pageant tent when she fell ailing with most cancers.

“When Lucie handed, I used to be like, I’ve to maintain carrying the torch; I’ve to maintain going,” Hagen stated.

Hagen began promoting her work at festivals, and, after shifting to Chicago from the suburbs, she started portray cityscapes of the Windy Metropolis. A putting portray titled “All Of The Lights” caught the eye of Instagram customers, garnering Hagen hundreds of recent followers.

“It went actually viral,” Hagen stated. “I bought like 10 million views on it and one million likes, and it sort of shot me to a spot I wasn’t prepared for.”

Working now as a full-time artist, Hagen stated the ethical of her story is just not giving up on one’s interior youngster. Past sizzling canine stands, work of dive bars, bakeries and different sentimental locations in Chicago could also be her future muses.

“Nostalgia makes my artwork what it’s,” Hagen stated. “That is actually been the trajectory of my profession, and I am actually excited to see the place it continues to go.”

For extra info, go to juliahagenartist.com.