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.

Dinosaurs Along Padden Trail, 2020

Joules Martin
(American, born 1966)

Location: Harriet Rowley Elementary, Mount Vernon

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Dinosaurs Along Padden Trail by artist Joules Martin imagines three magnificent, prehistoric creatures lurking around Lake Padden near Bellingham, in Northwestern Washington. One animal is in the air and two are on the ground. Martin was inspired by a certain tree in that area that hovers over the trail, at an angle that makes it look like the neck of a dinosaur eating the leaves of the trees. It is painted in Martin’s signature technique of circular swirls in the paint made by hair picks and modified squeegees. The colors are based on a memory of her own childhood books and posters about dinosaurs.

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.