Julia Swearingen was born, raised and—after a brief stint in the Northeast—now resides in Tulsa. As soon she developed the fine motor skills to hold a marker, she started drawing much to the detriment of her parents’ walls and furniture. Thankfully they redirected that creative zeal onto paper and from there, her love of the creative only grew. Throughout her formative years, Julia continued to pursue all kinds of art making whether it was selling handmade buttons, learning how to throw pots, or finagling her way into life drawing classes at 16. She attended the Rhode Island School of Design and graduated in 2007 with a BFA in Painting. During her tenure at RISD, she taught herself how to embroider as a hobby. After graduation, she continued painting but slowly embroidery began to take over her creative process. In 2010, she decided to focus solely on embroidery and embarked on her first large-scale project. Since then she has been featured in articles in Tulsa World and Art Focus. She has worked in numerous shows including Momentum Tulsa, Fiberworks, and Visionmakers, winning multiple awards and even a sewing machine.