Hi there Friends!!

Thank You All for making my blogs well read! I am grateful for all the support I have gotten on this website :) As we were celebrating Thanksgiving yesterday with family, I was prompted for the first time in a long time to voice some ideas I had about a book of personal essays from the lens of a Female Gen-Xer about relevant issues facing our country today like abortion, gay rights, marijuana legilization, mental health, the Pandemic, higher Education, Religion, Gun Laws, Crime and Racism. You see, I used to write really well and in fact, have been published many, many times.

Then, this morning I got a message on my website from someone who was grateful I had posted the podcast I did with Brooke Musterman. It made me think, hey, instead of writing a "book" which is such an old-fashioned idea, I'll put the essays on my website as blogs. So, here goes!! But first I wanted to talk about my life with writing, so you will understand the highs and lows of my writing voice.

I was born a middle-class white girl in the Summer of 1977 in the South. Both of my parents worked, my dad at a bank and my mother as an elementary school teacher. They were young and we didn't have a lot of money growing up to spend friviously. My sister was born on my 4th birthday, literally we were born on the same day 4 years apart. I loved to read as a young child, and would spend hours reading Noel Streatfield Ballet Shoes series, or The Grimm Brothers Fairy Tales. I also read books by Judy Blume and the series The Sweet Valley Twins, and also the series The BabySitter's Club. I also loved music and pictures and dancing.

When I was about 12, I decided I wanted to become a writer when I grew up. I began to take academics and school in general more seriously and attended the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts in 1994. I will address other aspects of my high school years in some future essays that I think the issues are still relevant today such as abortion, gay rights, and mental health.

Then after I graduated from Dreher High School in 1995, I went on to attend New York University on a partial scholarship and the plan was to study some sort of journalism. I had interned at a local NBC affiliate, WIS-TV, my senior year in high school and loved it. However, when I got to New York City my freshman year there were a lot of new experiences and I ended up getting a work-study job in the NYU Student Employment Office as part of the scholarship I had. I learned to juggle work and school and my grades improved. That summer, I went home and drove a delivery van for my father's business which he had started several years before as my summer job. My sophomore year, I met with a school advisor and we made a plan that I would study print journalism and also study abroad in Spain the spring of my junior year and be able to graduate in 3 and 1/2 years in January 1999. Well, by the grace of God I did it !

Then came my writing career! Right before I walked in May of 1999 in Madison Square Garden at the NYU graduation, I received a call from DownBeat Magazine, a national music magazine out of Chicago, that my article on a musician named Chris Potter, a well-known jazz saxophonist, was going to be published in their May 1999 issue. Even though I had technically graduated in January, I remained in NYC living on the Lower East Side and working for a non-profit AIDS awareness organization that produced music compilations for AIDS awareness, The Red Hot Organization which had their offices on Spring Street in SoHo. I walked in May and by that time had an another article in the works, this time for the NY Daily News AIDS Awareness Magazine. I published twice in that publication, and also wrote for the tech magazine, Alley Cat News, The Resident Newspaper, and The Brooklyn Papers.

After being exhausted both mentally and financially from NYC, I moved to Metuchen, New Jersey, a 30 minute train ride from Manhattan, to live with my grandmother at her house. I lived there for about 2 years and wrote for the Newark Star-Ledger daily newspaper. When I moved back home to Columbia, SC at age 25 , I wrote for The State Newspaper and eventually, ended up getting full-time employment as a staff writer at The Free Times, an alternative weekly newspaper out of Columbia. After that job, I never worked in newspapers again, but have published with my photography in magazines which I will save for another blog !!

So, in short, that is the story of my wrting history up until now. Hope you enjoyed learning a little about me here on my website and hope you will continue to comment and read future blogs that are upcoming!! Best to You and Yours.

Happy Holidays!!

Yours truly,

Julie Corder

Hi Friends !! Here what all I have been up to since leaving Coffey & Thompson and I discuss my art with good friend Brooke Musterman on her podcast Let's Talk Art with Brooke. Hear all about my upcoming show and gallery space at American Beauty Garden Center !! 

In December, I applied to the Charlotte Art League's small works & about 15 pieces of mine were selected for the show! I then decided since I no longer had gallery space I would become a member and rent wall space there. I have been giving private showings of my work since then and love the collaborative work space of Charlotte Art League. Bryan Wilson has a studio there and introduced me to the space, so I feel welcome and have already sold some pieces!

I also have work at my husbands business American Beauty Garden Center and Do No Harmacy. I love the florals there because it is such a nice compliment to the Garden Center and have also sold pieces there and am able to have private showings. You can also find my metal prints, coasters and notecards at CLT FIND a great Charlotte store located in 7th Street Market run by two amazing women. See the video below to see my work at American Beauty Garden Center!

All in all, living in a worldwide pandemic has changed me but has not stopped me! Working on an oil portrait of myself holding my Canon Rebel T5i and feeling grateful for all that I do have! Blessings to you all XOXO, Julie

Hi there Friends! While I'm stuck at home because of COVID-19, I've been taking the time for reflection and self-care. As an adult woman that suffers from bi-polar disorder, the past few weeks of watching the news and scrolling social media have not put me in a good place emotionally. Writing this blog has always made me pause to reflect on my accomplishments and focus on the positive things happening in my life. A lot has happened since the year of my last post and I'm here to fill you in on what's going on with Julie Corder Photography. This past year was especially difficult for us as we lost our beloved dog Tippy Toes to her struggle with cancer. She went peacefully & I feel sure that she is in doggie heaven. A few months later, we adopted another rescue dog, but this time a blue heeler mix Charley Max Corder. He is a source of great comfort to us and has lots and lots of love to give. We have been training him with puppy classes and below is his graduation photo!

I've been busy this spring with Advanced Digital Photography and Macro Photography classes taught by Dave Kelley at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden. Both classes were taken in the Orchid Conservatory during the Art & Orchids exhibit. I was also introduced to Lightroom, which is a phenomenal editing program available with Photoshop. All the learning and shooting was great fun and I even came out with a new collection of 5x5 metal prints "Wild Fires of the Soul". I headlined the last SouthEnd Gallery Crawl at Coffey & Thompson Art Gallery with the collection March 6th. The metal prints are available there and at Foster's Frame and Art Gallery in Huntersville, NC. Below are 3 pieces from the collection: "Into the Night", "Mother Nature's Kisses", and "Lily of Winter".

Currently, I am updating this website for print purchasing capabilities so stay tuned for the next blog announcing that launch and also a list of my upcoming events most notably Wake the Queen Performing Arts Festival at Unknown Brewery here in Charlotte August 8th, 2020 and at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden after May 11th. I want to thank you all for your continued support and I am grateful for the opportunity to work with many of you!

Much Love...Stay Safe!

Julie

Happy Spring All! Spring is my favorite time of year for many reasons, and of course, it's because Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens has their annual orchid exhibit "Art & Orchids". This year did not fail to dissappoint with "Invisible Links" and I am honored to say that I had a display of my orchid photography in their gift shop during the season! This yellow orchid photograph "Just Nesting" is a piece I produced this year that was taken in the Orchid Conservatory. If you look closely enough you can see a face right in the center of the orchid! Please view more of my 2019 orchid photography and take a minute to listen to Brooke's podcast where she interviews me here:  Let's Talk Art with Brooke...Julie Corder. So honored to have been on the "other side" of the microphone this time and featured on Brooke's website. Also, if you are looking for a piece of orchid photography of mine, please come to my vendor table at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden this Mother's Day Weekend, May 11th & 12th 2019. Looking forward to seeing you all there!

With Love & Light,

Julie

Artisan's Palate, a new wine/coffee bar with an art gallery, is coming to NoDa, specifically 1210 E. 36th St. in early 2019. The "community house" will also have a rotating menue with 10-12 "elevated but comfortable" dishes, stated Charlotte Five on an Instagram post this week! Just before Thanksgiving, I had the privilege to attend my first "Friendsgiving" in Charlotte at the home of Chef Christa Csoka of Artisan's Palate. I did a photo shoot of her amazing dishes and had an awesome time all together! So happy for my friend Christa as she opens a great new space in NoDa to show off her talent. Below are some of her original dishes she served a party of 6 for brunch that day! All photos by Julie Corder Photography.

The appetizer was crab-stuffed, bacon-wrapped shrimp done with a cream sauce. It was textured and rich! It was satisfying and delicious.

The next course was a butternut squash soup topped with bacon & drizzled with cream. This was my favorite dish! I absolutely love soups and this was a hearty, creamy, soup that also looked inviting with the warm color of the butternut squash.

The third course was a slow-cooked pork belly over a mash with chives & a delicious sauce. I usually am not a fan of pork belly, but the meat was so tender & lean! Tasted like a thick piece of heaven!

For dessert, we enjoyed a nutella-stuffed french toast with raspeberries and whipped cream. To die for! The nutella was the perfect filling for the french toast.

And of  course, what Friendsgiving would be complete with cocktails? Trust me! Chef Christa knows her stuff when it comes to mixology as well!

A special thank you to Chef Christa from Artisan's Palate for hosting us and preparing all the amazing food! It was my first food photography shoot and I would like to also thank Alan Corder for lighting assistance. Also, thank you to the Gold District Board for pulling this together in Wilmore. We hope the Artisan's Palate is off to a great success. 

Until next time!

I had the privilege of representing Coffey & Thompson Art Gallery, Frame & Design, along with Elise Jokell Imagery, during the SouthEnd Gallery Crawl at 1200 S. Graham Street in Charlotte, North Carolina this past May. Many of my orchids, spider lilys and other

hand-colored photographs were featured for the show entitled "Mother Nature: Musings from the Garden". My work that is featured is mainly floral photography and Jokell Imagery had many ladybugs, butterflies and other photography that fit the show quite well! Julie Corder Photography is featured at Coffey & Thompson Art Gallery, as a gallery artist, and her metal prints of orchid photography are available in Charlotte. 

"Tree Frog" by Julie Corder is available at the gallery in Charlotte, NC. Custom-framed and designed by Coffey & Thompson, the piece of art is 20x26 and sells for $300 thru the gallery. Please call (704) 375-7232 for more details.

"Golden Zen" by Julie Corder is available thru Coffey & Thompson Art Gallery. Dimensions 26x26 $350 with a traditional gold frame. Perfect statement piece for any dining room or living room! Call (704) 375-7232 for more details.

"Sunburnt" by Julie Corder 21x23 $425 is one of my favorite pieces! This represents a time in my life when I felt a lot of shame from the stigma I perceived from being Bi-Polar. I love the way the edges of this orchid are curled in, as well as it's brillant red. Please call (704) 375-7232 for more details.

"Repose" 21x17 $425 is also another one of my very favorites! Taken at the Landsford Canal Spider Lily Conservation, the water from the canal seemed to form the perfect body of a man laying on his side in the background. The crisp white and green of the flower give it a nice color pallette, along with the custom framing by Coffey & Thompson Art Gallery, Frame & Design. Please call (704) 375-7232 for more information!

Big Love to everyone that came out and participated in the show! I couldn't have done it without you all! 

XO,

Julie

"Beyond the Whispering Pines" by Julie CorderWinter Camellia

As some may know, I am originally from Columbia, South Carolina and even though I have lived in Charlotte, North Carolina for 8 years, I still have many friends, family, and colleagues that live just across the state line and about an hour down 1-77 South. I travel there often for both personal and professional reasons and this past winter, as I was attending an art exhibit at Over the Mantel Gallery, I had the pleasure of meeting Catherine Maker, who sits on the board of the Mid-Carolina Camellia Society. Catherine invited me to come take photographs of some winter camellia blooms being judged at the 66th Annual Winter Camellia Show at the SC Farmers Market-Phillips Market Center on February 10, 2018, so I did!

"Walker on Sunshine" by Julie CorderWinter Camellia Over 900 blooms were at the Phillips Market Center to be judged this past Saturday--stunning bursts of pinks and reds filled every corner of the room as the judging took place.  Camellia varieties ranged from Japonica Blooms, both unprotected and protected, Miniature Blooms, Sasanquas,and Local Blooms, all grown in Midland South Carolina counties. It was an honor to be invited by Mrs. Maker and to photograph these gorgeous blooms. I have since then created a series called "Carolina Camellias" and named them after streets I have lived on in Columbia. I hope to be invited back!

"Devereaux Blooms" by Julie CorderWinter Camellia

As today is Valentine's Day, I hope to share these photographs of winter camellias as a reminder of Nature's beauty, love and connection. Each of these photographs will be available on an 8x10 metal print, so contact me if you are interested in purchasing and visit Over the Mantel Gallery in Columbia or Coffey & Thompson Art Gallery in Charlotte to see more examples of my abstract florals printed on metal! 

Julie Corder Photography is pleased to announce a showing at SouthEnd Kitchens Design Studio, alongside Jokell Imagery courtesy of Coffey & Thompson Art Gallery, Frame & Design, for the SouthEnd Gallery Crawl this December. Please view fine art photography alongside SouthEnd Kitchens Wood-Mode fine cabinetry and let Catherine Whitney help you spruce up your home for the New Year or even buy a new piece of art to compliment your design!

Julie is from Columbia, SC and graduated from the SC Governor's School for the Arts and New York University with a B.A. in Print Journalism, as well as studied abroad in Madrid, Spain. Not only is she a photographer, but is also published in both writing and photography for several press organizations. She likes to capture emotion in photographing people and the play of colors, along with light and shadows, in photographing flowers.  All her work is done manually on a digital camera.  Photography helps her connect to the world in a positive way. 

In photographing florals, especially orchids, the miracle of life in Mother Nature and the Science is what intrigues her most. The process is a mysterious journey in which she constantly challenges herself for a positive outcome.

Coffey & Thompson brings new artists to light and both artists are pleased to show their photography alongside SouthEnd Kitchens Design Studio cabinetry from Wood-Mode. Plan to stop by this December!

This past October, I donated my 16x20 metal print of one of my orchids "Animal" to the Mental Health of America's Inaugural Fundraiser at The Mint Museum on Randolph Road in Charlotte, North Carolina. I had the honor of being selected to participate in their silent auction and was among some very talented photographers.

But, I want to take a minute to talk about the piece "Animal" that I donated. I have always loved animals for their beauty and especially for their companionship and most of all, their unwavering love and affection. I have my own dog, a border collie/Laborador mix rescue who is getting on in age, as I have had her over a decade. She has been with me through many ups and downs and I love my husband even more, for not only welcoming me into his home, but also my skittishly shy rescue dog, Tippy Toes. Tippy has changed my life in so many ways and has been a constant source of inspiration to me during my struggles with bi-polar disorder. My husband, Alan and I, have always championed animal rights and he first introduced me to vegetarianism. Although I find it hard now to sustain myself with a strictly plant-based diet, I do understand why. 

"Animal" is one of the six original orchid photographs that are featured in my collection, "The Orchid Sessions: When the Centers Hold". I feel that the way I feel about animals is one of my core values that I have had since I was a little girl, and one that was only reinforced by my life experiences and yogic studies. When I met Lauri Dewhurst-Summers, I felt a kindred spirit immediately and have appreciated her support ever since.

Please join us next year at the "AIM 4 GRAY MATTER" Fundraiser for Mental Health of Central Carolinas at The Mint Museum on Randolph Road in October 2018. Let's join together to fight the stigma that surrounds mental illness and appreciate each other and art! To Donate, please see the websitehttp://www.mhacentralcarolinas.org.