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Pandemic drew Black & Red artist back to her easel

March 28, 2025

In 2020, Julie Beckham was searching for a way to cope with the pressure of nursing in the midst of a pandemic.

“Art was always a hobby of mine,” she recalls. “I was always drawing as a young girl and, as I got older, I started painting with acrylics.”

When the Hartford Hospital CORE (main OR) nurse returned to her easel, she never imagined it would lead her to center stage as the 2025 Black & Red featured artist.

A YouTube video introduced Beckham to fluid art, a technique that involves pouring thin, liquid acrylic on canvas and allowing it to flow and create organic, abstract designs.

Her first piece was created atop her dryer, sparking a new obsession.

Her winning piece, “Breaking Through,” was chosen as the winning artwork for the 2025 Black & Red and will feature prominently in the May 10 event’s promotional items and decor. The piece, Beckham says, captures the spirit of the fundraising gala’s beneficiary, CESI.

“The artwork starts out very small on the left and then breaks out — that’s where I really took off with the palette knife swiping,” she explains. “It symbolizes CESI’s mission of innovation and discovery.”

Since turning back to her artwork, Beckham started renting studio space and has participated in several art shows, including those by Loft Artists Association in Stamford and the West Hartford Art League.