There’s something quietly powerful about the way Julia Budden paints. Her work feels instinctive yet grounded, expressive yet considered. An abstract artist based on the Gold Coast, Julia’s practice is shaped by a lifelong connection to art and a deep relationship with the natural landscape around her.

Creativity was always close at hand growing up. With a mother who is also an artist, Julia was surrounded by paints, canvases and the freedom to experiment from an early age. Although she has painted since childhood, it was after having children of her own that her practice truly gathered momentum. What began as a return to the canvas has evolved into a confident and emotive body of abstract work that continues to shift and develop over time.

One of her recent pieces, Dusk Storm, captures the drama of a hot summer afternoon on the Gold Coast. Inspired by the thunderstorms that roll in over the wetlands where she walks her dog most days, the work layers large, washy gestures with moments of texture and depth. Julia moves fluidly between materials, working with fluid acrylics, traditional acrylics and mixed media pastels, allowing each piece to dictate its own process. The result is atmospheric and immersive, like standing beneath a changing sky.

Beyond the studio, Julia works as a landscape designer, a role that quietly informs her art. Days spent working with plants, stone and natural materials have sharpened her sensitivity to texture, tone and form. Nature is not just a reference point but a lived experience, and that connection flows directly into her canvases. While her paintings are abstract, they often carry the memory of foliage, earth and shifting light, with colour palettes drawn from the plants and mood boards she creates in her design work.

There is an optimism running through Julia’s practice. A sense of hopefulness and forward motion. That energy was felt immediately when her first piece with Kira & Kira sold on its very first day in the showroom, a milestone that marked the beginning of an exciting new chapter.

Julia Budden’s work is now available to view at our Burleigh Showroom and in our Miami store. We invite you to experience the layers, movement and emotion of her pieces in person.