I've been meaning to do this interview for quite awhile. One of the questions I frequently get is, "who is/what is Scratch & Line?" So here is a conversation with Julie aka Scratch (she/they) about the origins of Scratch & Line, artwork on Pinecone Moonshine, and her solo work and projects. Scratch will have a large, sculptural piece, "Cost of Living," on display at Brassworks Gallery, Portland this month.
Nic: So let's start with "what is Scratch & Line?"
Scratch: Specifically, I noticed that Nic's work used a lot of lines and in my work, I would scratch on canvas.
So Scratch & Line started as a collaboration between the two of us for our artwork. Before meeting, we both went to similar galleries/museums, and we found our styles had overlap. Especially the aesthetic and colors we used [then] were consistent. We were both drawn to the ordinary or missed and ignored objects like a worn garage door found down an alley. We found beauty in aged wood and metal. And we liked to push each other creatively and to take risks. In university, there were consistent critiques, so we naturally provided that to one another.
Nic: What was the aesthetic?
Scratch: We sourced mixed media from the California desert, and old papers and magazines, and things that had been dumped there and combined them in a Raushenberg-esque application.
Nic: But now S&L - has evolved. We are not directly collaborating on pieces as much.
Scratch: We still check in w/ each other and always consult each other. You are mostly focused on the label. I have been taking on more teaching roles.
Nic: But you are also still involved with the label as well. Besides contributing your own art over the years you: Do most of the photography - even for my own pieces. You're the art director.
Scratch: I'll take it but I don't deserve it.
Nic: Ha, well you do provide me with advice during most of the stages of creating my own artworks. And then you give that critical, independent eye on the final selection of photography - help on centering, color, composition types. So everything gets your approval first.
Scratch: Well you do so much to help with my art too - from editing images, ordering stickers and website help. And you believe in me.
Nic: In the last few years you have focused on larger ceramics vessels (using the slab coil technique), and rug tufting - but building sculptural tufted pieces. And of course taking on more teaching.
Scratch: I made a goal of working larger in ceramics and tufting. In ceramics I wanted to make the biggest piece that could still fit in my kiln. I stay consistent with my voice. And the message is stronger as a larger piece.
I love the process of making. Getting lost in the zone - or the flow.
Tufting still uses some skills from ceramics mostly in the planning and having to do things in order. Cost of Living - my most ambitious piece - required making an inner wood frame, so there were several sequential steps.
As for teaching, my degree is in art education, so it feels natural. I love sharing knowledge.
Nic: I have also increased the size of the canvases I have used. It takes more time, not just to make but preparing as well.
Scratch: Right. These pieces take planning, time, and effort. Both tufting and ceramics require a good amount of physical exertion too. So I have to pace myself, but also give myself deadlines. I prefer pieces that take longer because it gives me time to reflect and see the piece from different perspectives. I also believe I bond with and build a closer attachment to the pieces that I see often. Unfortunately higher risk if something goes wrong.
Of course there's more risk with larger projects. When someone learns to rug tuft, the first piece is often a flat wall-hanging. For "Cost of Living," it was not only larger, but it would be 3D requiring multiple panels to connect, and building a wood internal structure. It was going to push me out of my comfort zone and leave me exposed to possibly failing.
Nic: I was a bit surprised you didn't start with a small prototype.
Scratch: Right instead of a smaller prototype, I was driven to go all in on something I've never done before. To impress myself. A prototype would be too comfortable. I wanted to build something I would be proud to show. This piece was for me, but I also felt it could be relatable.
Nic: What was your process?
Scratch: Normally I start with a sketch and then stay pretty close to the original concept. I couldn't draw anything other than burning houses. I thought, "maybe if I build one I could move on."
Nic: And now the 2.5' x 3' x 4' (75cm x 90cm x 120cm) final sculpture will be on display this month.
Scratch: Yes, Brassworks Gallery is a prominent, well-attended gallery here in SE Portland. They have shown thousands of artists from local to international including some of artists who inspired me. My first group show at Brassworks, as part of a group show, was co-curated by Melissa Monroe who taught me how to rug tuft. Really excited that Brassworks has selected "Cost of Living" to be on display. This gallery is in my local community and I love being supported here in Portland, walking distance from my home.
Nic: What do you remember about the beginning of Scratch & Line?
Scratch: When I met Nic, I was making cumbersomely large, abstract sculptures. This was while I was focused on getting a teaching degree in art education at Fullerton, CA. And that's where I had to learn many different fields of art, so I would be qualified to teach. I was pushed to make things I had never seen before. We were also inspired seeing large scale artworks while visiting galleries in New York.
Nic: These were pretty early years for the record label. You have kind of gone full-circle back into making large pieces.
Scratch: Right, there was a period of time where I was unable to work large. We were in places without access to a studio or kiln, or living in small apartments. I was also a full time parent of a small human who is now old enough to avoid sharp tools and materials.
Nic: Ceramics wasn't your focus in school.
Scratch: I didn't have much experience until university. 2016 when I was drawn to ceramics. I enjoyed making art with my hands. I joined different clay studios wherever we lived and ended up learning from different instructors. It was also different doing it for yourself and not for a grade in school. I made things "I wanted" in my own home and ceramic pieces to wear, building on earlier ideas.
In Portland, as a member of the Radius Art Studio, I allowed a specialized interest in ceramic jewelry. I have been teaching a semi-regular one time class on just that specialization.
Nic: Has your art changed over the years?
Scratch: I feel I always stayed true to who I was in that moment or time. The theme has always been to make what I wanted to make. The difference is that I have matured and I see the world in a new way. The motivation is similar but the style changes. It won't be the same in 5 to 10 years because I want to grow. I want to continually push to make things I haven't previously made.
Nic: You have sketched so many ideas too.
Scratch: I carry a notebook with me. And sketch ideas or collect inspiring thoughts. My note book is also full of numbers of measurements figuring out how to construct these large sculptures. I wish my sketchbook was pretty, but it's a messy conglomeration of details.
Nic: So going back what is the theme at this moment in time?
Scratch: Fire - I am having a hard time sketching anything that isn't on fire lately. Mostly because I am working through grief.
I have 3 different pieces ready to start this summer. One of which will have wood, ceramic, and tufting combined. And one of my pieces you'll be able to climb. Like my articulating soft tufted scissors, I like my art to be interactive if possible.
Scratch: I want to mention that I appreciate how [Nic] perceives the world and sees things others might miss. I appreciate that you make art in ways others may find different, but it is authentically you. It is similar to how you make music too. And I love that you are up to the challenge of using mixed media.
It means a lot to have the support of the Pinecone Moonshine audience; I do not take it for granted.
PCMS, Pinecone Moonshine (C) 2026.