Northwest artist Julia MacFarland earned her Bachelor of Arts in Painting in 1951 and her Master of Fine Arts in Painting in 1952, both from the University of Washington. She also received a Bachelor's degree in Zoology from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Master's degree in Sociology from Western Reserve University. Beginning in 1952, MacFarland worked from a painting studio in downtown Seattle.

MacFarland's work has been exhibited throughout the Pacific Northwest, including at the Seattle Art Museum, the Frye Art Museum, the Henry Art Gallery, the State Capitol Museum, and many other museums and galleries.

MacFarland earned several awards throughout her career, including awards from the Women Painters of Washington, the Tacoma Art League, the Western Washington Fair, the Creative Arts Festival, and others. She was a member and president of the Lambda Rho Women's Art Honorary at the University of Washington and a member of the Women Painters of Washington and the Artists Equity Association.