Passage 1999

Julie Bell’s painting, "Passage," appears to be made from oil paints, though its exact date and dimensions remain unspecified. The texture is amazing. The cape, rendered in soft whites and golds, drapes in such a way that the folds look heavy and real. Up close, you can almost feel the weight of it. The whole image feels like a dream. What I like is how the sword and the planes in the back seem to be in some kind of tension, almost like they have been photoshopped in, but they are not. Bell’s style reminds me of Frank Frazetta, who, like Bell, worked as a fantasy illustrator. There’s a certain theatricality in the details, with the costume, the lighting, and a story, though the story is ultimately left open to interpretation. It’s a picture that knows something we don't, and that's the best kind of picture.