JULIE McNIEL ARTS

REVIEWS

"Julie McNiel's consummate skills as a master of drawing and graphic technique are everywhere evident in all her drawings on view...

clearly reveals the impetus and excitement that she brings to each of her drawings. Each work is indeed an exploration of uncharted space,

a new locus of discovery and visual imagination that is literally "drawn out" of the blank paper, but also an exploration

of character, the artist's personality, and her active and vivid manner of seeing. What she "sees" and re-creates for us to see

is a fanciful and powerful world of characters, stories and imaginary landscapes drawn from all the "realms" and

influences of her life, literary works, fairy tales and their illustrations, Medieval engravings and icons, comic books,

German Expressionism and written texts... McNiel's drawings are all exquisitely executed, with a command of stroke, color

and composition that leaves no doubt about her mastery of her media and control of her space of exploration..."

-- Frank Cebulski, Artweek magazine, November 2007

"...she comes to grips with an aspect of her self which is difficult to describe in words or any other way. Her notions

about how or why to draw fade into the background, and she sifts through the layers of her imagination, calling forth what resonates

within her... As a result, her exhibit is a collection of phantasmagories - the lines anxious, dark and deep, the colors bright and unbridled...

McNiel's works resemble dreams in that they are neither linear nor obvious. This makes many of them difficult

to digest. But, also like dreams, they are at turns beautiful, absurd, and nearly always affecting."

-- Melody Dye, Mountainview Voice, 8-10-07.

"McNiel's pencil drawings dominate the show... Trained as a painter, with a strong background in costume and set design, McNiel surely

has a sly slice of the English major lurking in her as well. Her chatty drawings are covered with thoughts, droll statements, and

punning text... draw McNiel can. She presents strong, confident lines in strong, confident composition, the framed pieces achieving

an elegance that is pleasing and flirts with downright beauty..."

-- Gretchen Giles, The Bohemian, June 2001

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Julie McNiel Arts - paintings and drawings