STATEMENT

Judith Perry was born on the coast of Washington State and spent the first half of her life in the Northwest. Since then she has lived on the East Coast, the Midwest, Hawaii, and South Carolina. She has studied and practiced art in all of these locations. Living near water has impacted her view of life and artistic expression. Practicing her art making through formal studies has been critical to achieving a level of excellence, as well as discipline. Susan Kraut, Susan Gofstein, Marion Kryscka, and John Salminen have guided her with intelligence and inspiration.

“The beauty of the human figure has such complexities and nuances, it establishes a lifetime of art-making possibilities. For years, studies at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago focused on life drawing. Initially, I primarily captured the entire figure within a framework. Eventually, I found particular shapes and angles created shadow and colors, which set me in a new direction. The back of the neck and its vulnerability and the contour of the hip have been inspiration for great art through the ages.

What began as drawing became drawing in color - watercolors, then pastels to capture the skin tones, and eventually oils. To me, all forms of painting are ways of depicting what pulls me to a spot of beauty or visual drama. All painting is drawing at its fullest.

I have found different subject matter and mood in the places I've lived. The climate and the way my life has evolved is reflected in the atmosphere of each piece - the softness of the lowcountry marsh, the shades of fog in the Northwest, or the figure within a space of quietness. As I paint full-time as a professional, the desire to explore and express has become even more compelling. Whether I'm moving toward inner contemplation or concern for our social environment, the evolution and ever-expanding subject matter provides me with personal fulfillment. Art making is not about waiting for inspiration, but a way of seeing and then work. Daily work.

I believe art visually tells the world of the existing conditions of our times. It is a necessary record for future generations, and when done well is thought-provoking and emotionally stirring.”