Central Art Gallery Featured Artist
Julian Bell started painting in the year 2000, but has been drawing since he could hold a pencil. He starts his paintings en plein air (meaning outdoors, on site), and finishes them in the studio where he can take plenty of time to adjust the patterns and colors. Sometimes all he makes outdoors is a drawing, and that’s all he needs to build a painting from in the studio. Julian makes time to paint, despite having young children, being a full time physician and serving as the Ashland Parks Commissioner. When asked why he makes time for art, Julian says it’s essential for him: “It’s a bit of transcendence in a world that sometimes seems very venal.”
Julian’s work was included in Art Beyond: What is Plein Air? at Schneider Museum of Art in 2021.
Central Art Gallery announces its January 2022 "3rd Friday" art show, spotlighting the works of Featured Artist Julian Bell.
"I hope to paint images that are engaging and draw the viewer into a different time and place, or the same time and place seen from a different world.
I try to remind the viewer that the world we live in is curiously arranged and strangely colored, which maybe you can only see by stopping and staring, or by happening upon a different viewfinder borrowed from an unfamiliar observer.
My work aspires to the bones of Hokusai, the geometry of Stuart Davis, the action of Herge, and the impasto of Monet. Perhaps by standing on those shoulders even someone with limited abilities can produce something delightful?"
- from Artist's Statement
The exhibit will be from 5-8pm during Medford’s Art Walk Friday, January 21st. *FACE MASKS REQUIRED* Social distancing is strongly encouraged. We are strictly following CDC's COVID-19 guidelines – visit centralartsupply.com for more info. Central Art Gallery is located in downtown Medford at 101 N. Central.
Art by Julian Bell
