JUDY WARD

About the Artist

Born with crayons in both hands, my world is all about color. When I look at an object such as a tree trunk, I don’t just see browns; I see greens, reds, oranges, golds and a dozen shades of grey too! In other words, my world is awash with color. I’ve outgrown my crayons, experimenting often with new approaches to my art, but I consistently employ a style of disjointed, colored shapes. This color-block style lets the painting surface show through inbetween blocks of color to become an outline for each shape, resembling a stained glass or mosaic composition. This style affords me the opportunity to emphasize just the essence of my subject – its minimal shape, its maximum color and its most basic attributes. While the majority of my paintings are oils, I also work in watercolor, mixed media and acrylic. Some of my most recent works are enamel airbrush paints on Plexiglas, Lucite or glass. Never wanting to stand still, I continue to explore new media and techniques. Since moving to the Chesapeake Bay area more than 15 years ago, my subject matter has tilted more toward the flora and fauna I see everyday. But I’m also drawn to mechanical objects and raw materials like metal and stone – Anything with a lot of shades of color!

Artist's Statement

Abstract/Modernist painter featuring tiled colored shapes with bare canvas outlines.