Nature And Emotion Dance On The Canvas Into A Swirling Delight At Acclaimed Artist’s First Solo Show

A young woman peacefully slumbers in a relaxed fetal pose on the head of one of three elephants, which appear to be engaged in an effort to protect her as if she was one of their own. The viewer’s eye circles the intricate canvas, as light casts muted hues, adding an elegant softness to the elephants’ thick, wrinkly skin. Despite the stillness of the figures, the painterly process generates movement and draws together the worlds of nature and emotion.

Sacred is among 13 new works included in “Lush: Paradisiac Fantasies Of Julie Bell,” the first solo exhibition of the award-winning fantasy artist, wildlife painter, illustrator, and photographer, at Rehs Contemporary in New York.

“Sacred is one of my favorite works from the exhibition,” says Lance Rehs, director of Rehs Contemporary Galleries, Inc. “The natural tones and subtle details allow the viewer to experience these beautiful animals in all their glory. Most compelling is the way the figure rests so peacefully on the elephant in the foreground. It offers this harmonious, near-magical moment which Bell has captured to perfection.”

Some of the paintings, exploring a vast array of ideas and feelings with human and animal subjects, had been sold as the exhibition opened to the public earlier this month. They remain on display until May 24.

“The elephants feel very solid, very safe, and protective,” says Bell. “I read about elephants’ lives, and there is some connective feeling between the elephants and my father. It’s about feeling very safe and protected. The girl (in the paining) is Sacred. There is a family feeling of protecting one another.”

In many ways, these gentle giants are a prototype for ideal human beings. Elephants are social creatures and form powerful, enduring bonds with their family members. They collaborate to solve problems and look to their elders for wisdom. They swim, play, and curiously explore their natural habitats.

Describing how she composed the painting, Bell says of the young woman’s pose: “It could happen, a woman lying there, even though the elephants are not soft and silky. I like to think of animals with rough textures, but I do clean it up to a degree to have a luxurious feeling. The girl’s body language communicates to me that she is comfortable.”

“The swirls of energy really create the composition and give it a flow even though every thing is still,” she adds. “It’s not really a portrait of elephants in their natural habitat, but a portrait of the spirit of elephants, and taking it into the atmosphere of my emotional world.”

Bell originally planned to paint the model, who has a fondness for all types of cats, with a lion.

“I just told her to just relax,” Bell recalls. “I wanted a feeling of relaxation and calmness, and told her ‘your job is to do just that.’ It was after that I wanted her with those solid elephants.”

Bell begins her painting process with a sketch. “When I do a sketch, I go back to my ballet background, drawing lines that make a swirly design. It’s the energy lines of the piece that create movement throughout.”

Bell’s wide range of work has long commanded an intense following, which began with her covers of Heavy Metal, an American science fiction and fantasy magazine, and various commissions for Marvel Comics. She channels her background as a former ballet dancer and a nationally ranked competitive bodybuilder, while working simultaneously on multiple paintings alongside her husband Boris Vallejo, in their studio an hour north of Philadelphia.

Bell started painting professionally when she met Vallejo in 1989. The acclaimed fantasy painter was among the crowd from across the country gathered to view his wife’s stunning work at the opening.

“It was a wonderful afternoon and we were delighted to see many long-time admirers of her work stop by to see these new compositions. Some even flew in from other parts of the country just for the opening and a chance to meet Julie,” said Rehs. “There’s just something so moving about seeing the artist interact with individuals who are so enthusiastic about the work, and it doesn’t hurt that they may be more inclined to buy.”

Sacred, a signed, 30-inch-by-40-inch oil on panel, is available for $20,000.

Rehs Galleries opened in the late 1930s, and now includes a world-leading 19th and 20th century specialty, adjacent to the contemporary gallery operated by the fourth generation.

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