"My work is a personal expression of my spiritual journey…visual prayers…poetry of unseen places. The divine meets human, heaven meets earth, spirit meets spirit, and the invisible is made visible. Let your spirit go to where the unseen is calling and the invisible is made known. A search for purpose and meaning."

Julie’s poignant work portrays spiritual reflections through an artistic expression that is uniquely hers. Julie Quinn’s earliest childhood memories include chatting endlessly with an elderly Japanese gentleman who lived next door to her family. As the daughter of an Air Force serviceman, she was born and raised in Tachikawa, Japan, and lived off base. Her white-blonde hair drew attention among her Japanese neighbors. She remembers roaming freely through the neighborhood without fear of getting lost. Because everyone knew where the tiny chatty white-hair girl lived. She has no doubt that these early memories have influenced the artistic journey and language, for in her work there is an Asian influence in the rhythm and movement of the pieces.

Upon returning to the United States, she settled in Southeastern Michigan and eventually attended and graduated from Calvin College. She worked for many years as a medical social worker in hospital settings and as a case manager for mentally ill young adults. She believes that the journeys she shared with the people she came alongside during critical times in their lives have shaped her artwork as well. She feels deeply the sorrow, struggles, and pain, as well as the joy that we all share, and this influences deeply the work she creates. It was during such a time of struggle and pain in Julie's own life that her painting language changed dramatically. She always expressed herself in visually creative ways, but a very personal spiritual encounter took her to an entirely new level. Her work became a visual portrayal of her spiritual journey. The paintings became an intimate view into her very personal prayer language. Her current work is the result of this journey and keeps evolving as she follows her heart and spirit while creating. Julie sincerely believes her artistic language is a gift meant to be shared. And as her gift evolves, she willingly and joyfully shares it with others.

Her work is included in many collections both private and corporate. One of her pieces was selected by the Vatican as one of only 30 artists worldwide for the first-ever Contemporary Christian Art Exhibit and is still being exhibited throughout Europe. Julie has been invited to show her work at the international show at the Louvre and was invited by an international board of curators to show her work in Florence in an invitation-only show. Julie studied under the tutiledge of Makoto Fujimura the author of Culture Care (a book that argues against the idea of culture war) and her work is featured on the cover of Three Hours by the first female to be ordained as an Episcopal Minister, Fleming Rutledge.

Julie lives in East Grand Rapids, Michigan, a city she has loved and lived in for the past 40 years. Her two children have recently graduated from college and she and her husband are very much enjoying being empty nesters.

PROCESS

Julie’s work is ink, oil, and acrylic on clayboard. Each piece contains many layers, sometimes as many as 50 or more. Her studio is a place of worship and sanctuary and you will find her praying, singing, and dancing while creating the work. Her prayer is that you will find something here that pulls you into an intimate place with God, where you can experience His presence, grace, and love.