About Julia

Julia Gash is a creative entrepreneur and British artist who is passionate about art and maps. She creates hand drawn illustrations using brush and ink and collaborates with retailers and licensees worldwide to make sustainable and stylish gift and souvenir ranges printed with her whimsical artwork. Over the past few years Julia has created a unique and everlasting archive of illustrations featuring cities, towns, and regions from all around the world, which have been made into stylish souvenirs, art prints or tote bags through her collaboration with a global portfolio of retailers and licensees. 

Julia’s distinctive handwriting is expressed as spirited and creative line drawings with flat and textured colour palettes, which translate well into the medium of print. Her whimsical illustrations capture a love of travel, wildlife, and world culture. Her life in Sussex is reflected through illustrations of the world around her. She works from her seaside home, where she practices yoga and which she shares with her two cats and chickens.

Although Julia did not start drawing Cityscapes until mid-life, her true creative journey began as an eight-year-old child. Camping and touring Europe in the summer holidays with her family, Julia discovered a world of wonder beyond the sheltered upbringing she had in England. Each day, she drew and wrote about the castles and palaces, zoos, and beaches that she visited with her sisters and parents. Two of little Julia’s travel journals still survive. They show the origins of a unique creative talent that half a century later, connects people to places that are close to their heart, coming alive through her unique, spirited handwriting, which captures the sense of awe and wonderment of a child.

Julia’s map like illustrations connect people with place, whether they are culture vultures on tour or locals who want to love up their hometown. Her whimsical illustrations communicate a child-like vision and offer a playful and honest interpretation of the world around us. Over the last decade, Julia has created more than a thousand artworks, most of them commissioned by prestigious retailers across the globe and made into beautiful products by her curated portfolio of licensees. 

Listen to Julia talking about her life and works in the Podcasts from Gift of the Year.