Julia Gallagher
City Lit’s advanced art courses are designed to help students grow their creative practice with confidence, depth, and direction. For Julia Gallagher, who balances her art with a full-time job, the two-year Advanced Painting programme offered exactly what she needed: structure, challenge, and space to build a serious, sustained body of work.
Watch Julia talk about her experience in our video
Finding the right environment to grow
Julia has always been drawn to creative expression.
“I’ve been interested in art in various forms all my life,” she says, having tried pottery, photography, and a range of mixed-media classes.
Her first steps at City Lit were through short courses, which were enjoyable, energising, but not quite enough.
“I absolutely loved them,” she recalls, “but they were short courses, and I really wanted to do something that was going to develop my practice over a longer period.”
That desire for more time and continuity led her to the advanced painting course. It is a flexible one- or two-year course designed for people who want to develop their artistic voice in a more sustained, reflective way.
Why studying over one or two years changed everything
The extended structure of the course stood out immediately.
“What I particularly liked about it,” Julia explains, “is it gave you a long period of practical work and discussions with the class and tutors.”
This mix of making, reading, talking, and reflecting encouraged her to deepen her thinking as well as her technique.
“There’s a lot of reflection built in, which was really helpful.”
The course allows students to complete the first year and, if they choose, continue into the second year, a pathway designed to support long-term growth.
Designed for professionals balancing work and creativity
A major benefit for Julia was how the programme fits around full-time employment.
“One of the really important factors for me was that it fitted around a full-time job,” she says. The course blends monthly weekend studio sessions with weekly online evening classes, a structure that supports steady progress without overwhelming busy schedules.
“It fits when you’re working full time,” Julia adds, making the course accessible for people who want to invest in their craft alongside their career.
Rediscovering the joy of making
Julia vividly remembers the excitement of her early sessions at City Lit.
“When I first arrived here and I did my first course, I felt excited, like being a child again. The thrill of having as much paint as you want, all the equipment, the time, and the interest of tutors… it was just really, really fun.”
That sense of creative freedom became the foundation for more serious exploration as the course progressed.
Becoming an artist
Over the past year, Julia has experienced a significant shift in how she sees her own work.
“I’ve increasingly taken myself more seriously,” she says. She now has a dedicated studio space and has started submitting work to open calls. Recently, she exhibited a piece in a gallery in Mayo.
“It’s taken me from being somebody who dabbles occasionally to somebody who sees myself as producing work that’s worth showing and worth sharing.”
For Julia, the Advanced Painting course wasn’t just education but a turning point.
What I enjoy most about studying at City Lit are the relationships I have built, they really are, for lack of a better phrase, priceless. Not just with the tutors but with the colleagues as well. Throughout the years, I have done so many courses, I have met so many people, and still have solid relationships with those people.
Ready to develop your practice?
Julia’s story shows what’s possible when artists have time, support, and the right environment to grow. City Lit’s Advanced Painting course offers a space to build confidence, expand technique, and develop a strong, authentic artistic identity.
Check out Julia's artwork.
Study Advanced Art Courses at City Lit
Do you see yourself becoming an artist just as Julia did? Enrol in an advanced art course today.
