Julie Caffee-Cruz - "Playing Dress Up" - El Paso, TX

Julie Caffee-Cruz is an artist, illustrator and educator. She cant remember a time when she wasn't drawing or painting. Art and the love for pencil drawing became a part of her life. She found herself drawing everything; paying close attention to the tiny details that many artists prefer to leave out. Her accomplishments in art mature as the years progressed, but at the age 14, she was hit with traumatic news. She was diagnosed with juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, a crippling disease. "I didn't realize what it could do to me ," she exclaimed. "I didn't stop. I had too far to go, so I just kept on pursuing my art career." Out of sheer perseveranc,e never letting her crippled hands hinder her work, Julie pressed on with her artistic desire through high school and college, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from West Texas State University in 1985. Julie has done commissioned artwork for many years. Her favorite medium is pencil, but enjoys the challenge of watercolor painting. She has recently begun experimenting with colored pencils. Her favorite subjects are people, although she has used a broad range of subject matter. Her clients include Patti Page, well-know singer and television star from the 1950's. Julie drew original artwork for Page's Christmas cards for 5 consecutive years. She has also done pen and ink illustrations for signage in the U.S. Forest Service's Cimarron and Comanche National
Grasslands. In addition, Julie has illustrated six children's books for Author Herb Marlow. Julie has clients from all over the United States and as far away as Oman and Germany. Julie is also an art educator. She has taught junior and high school art classes, as well as college level art courses. She is currently teaching art classes part-time for El Paso Community College's Senior Adult Program. Pencil in hand, drawing portraits of colorful people has kept her excited about the world of art waiting to be created. Julie was raised in Southwest Kansas, where she has become one of the most respected artists of the area. In 2001, she became a military wife. Her husband, Ed is Active Duty Army, and the family moved to El Paso/Fort Bliss in January of 2004. After arriving in El Paso, Caffee-Cruz became a member of El Paso Art Association and Rio Bravo watercolorists, both of which she is still a member. Her accomplishments include winning the Blue Ribbon Award at the 2010 Sun Bowl Art Exhibit sponsored by the International Museum of Art. She also was awarded Best of Show at EPAA's Colors of Spring Art Show in 2006 and in 2009 won Best of Show at the Arts International Show, and she won the Bill Kolliker Memorial Award in 2006. In 2007, Julie won the Windsor-Newton Watercolor award at EPAA's Colors of Spring Show. She has won many other awards since entering her first show in 1992.