Julie Crews: Transforming Fleeting Moments into Everlasting Art
Immerse yourself in the deeply emotional and expressively vibrant oil paintings of Julie Crews. A journey into her inspirations, artistic process, and profound connection to her ancestry unfolds, portraying her relentless pursuit of capturing the transience of life on canvas.
All By Themselves - An intimate portrayal of a family moment by Julie Crews
The Origin Story: Julie's Early Introduction to Art
Julie Crews' artistic journey began in childhood with an indelible Christmas memory. The smell of the oily paints from a humble set gifted to her as a child ignited an irreversible love for art. Encased within the warm embrace of her home, heated by a wood-burning stove crafted by her grandfather, Julie's initial brush strokes marked the beginning of her life-long passion for oil painting.
The Artist and Her Roots
Julie's personal history and bond to the land is deeply woven into her artistic identity. Raised in North Carolina, she drank from a well dug by her great-grandparents in the late 1800s, a connection to her ancestry that she only fully realized later in life. Now residing in Alabama, she channels her creativity within a 122-year-old cotton mill, a setting that embodies the same lasting, enduring quality that she cherishes. Julie's love for old, timeless things significantly influences her work, paradoxically juxtaposed with her focus on fleeting, transient moments.
A Confluence of Life and Art
Julie Crews predominantly creates oil paintings inspired by her daily life experiences. The studio offers an escape from her domestic duties but brings her closer to them. Scenes of burning backyard fires, swimming children, cityscapes, and moods of her loved ones find their way onto her canvas. These works, while preserving snippets of her life, also add permanence to the emotional undercurrents that shape her existence.
Featured Work: All By Themselves
One of Crews' noteworthy pieces, "All By Themselves," is a large-scale painting portraying a young family at a local university's swimming pool. The painting, created during a period of intense depression, encapsulates a moment of isolation, with the family seemingly alone in their joy, distanced from the viewer, and the artist herself. This piece not only captures a poignant family scene but also serves as a powerful channel for Crews to communicate her mental health struggles.
Insightful Perspectives and Unseen Beauty
Julie Crews' art takes root in the minute details of her life, making her work truly unique. Despite every piece carrying a profound backstory, her work radiates a sense of hope that reflects her constant quest to find beauty in life. Her art magnifies the unseen beauty in ordinary moments and imprints it on canvas for eternity.
Bridging the Gap: Connecting with the Audience
Crews strongly believes in making her art accessible to everyone. She finds that being authentic and genuine in her work naturally sparks connections. Alongside using social media platforms to share her work and journey, Crews also invites the public into her studio three times a week, creating an open dialogue about her artistic process and the themes she explores.
Embracing Challenges and Continuing the Artistic Journey
Julie acknowledges that every artist, herself included, battles time constraints, resource limitations, and space restrictions. However, for her, the toughest challenges are the periods of inactivity, when her work pauses for months on end. Overcoming these challenges has required her to develop a forgiving and loving relationship with herself while recognizing that her work is essential, primarily to her own wellbeing.
The Road Ahead: A Future Filled with Art
With an unwavering dedication to her craft, Julie Crews' ultimate aim is never to utter the words, "I used to paint." Her body of work, infused with life experiences and raw emotions, continues to touch viewers deeply, leaving an enduring mark on the world of art.
Julie Crews is indeed a beacon of hope and resilience, illuminating the path for artists grappling with mental health issues while transforming everyday moments into timeless art.
For more information or to get in touch with the artist directly:
Julie Crews:
Email: fineart@juliecrews.com
Instagram: @julie_crews_