Artwork copyright Joules Martin. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Joules Martin. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, by Alan Ayers of Make Northwest, 2020.

Artwork copyright Joules Martin. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, by Alan Ayers of Make Northwest, 2020.

Artwork copyright Joules Martin. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, by Alan Ayers of Make Northwest, 2020.

Trail to Bagley Lakes, 2019

Joules Martin
(American, born 1966)

Location: Harriet Rowley Elementary, Mount Vernon

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Artist Joules Martin’s Trail to Bagley Lakes features Tabletop Mountain as seen in the distance through the smoke-filled sky from the forest fires of 2019. Tabletop Mountain is an iconic mountain of Southwestern Washington, near the Columbia River. Martin painted the scene with squeegees, giving it an impressionistic quality.

This artwork is part of a curated collection by Kathleen Garrett at Harriet Rowley Elementary School, in Mount Vernon, Northwestern Washington. The local art selection committee wanted these artworks to reflect the local landscape and the spirit of adventure and possibility of Harriet Rowley, the school’s namesake. “Mother Rowley” (1880-1965) was a nurse from Ohio who opened the first hospital in Mount Vernon in 1920. She is remembered for her indomitable spirit and her desire to help others.

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Mount Vernon School District.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Artist Joules Martin's paintings show the natural scenery and landscapes of the Pacific Northwest. She applies thick layers of paint on canvas using non-traditional objects, such as chopsticks, hair picks, meat forks, and more. She notes, "The direction of the wind, the flow of the water, the rhythm of light pattern through the tree limbs are some of the elements I think of as I paint the landscape... I build a bridge between what a place looks like and how it feels to be there."

Martin earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Visual Communications at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Northwestern Washington.