I have been an artist in one form or another for over twenty years and was creative even as a child working on tapestries, patchwork quilts etc. I have been a professional potter and have worked comprehensively with glass. Six years ago I decided to do some painting. I love to work with watercolours, but also use pastels and charcoal. I prefer mediums that are free of chemicals and are portable so I can work while I travel.
I am quite captivated by watercolour painting and now paint full time from my Auckland based home.
My work process starts with taking a photograph. All of my work is my own copyright. I am an ardent photographer and I am always on the look out for interesting source material. Once I have a photograph to work with I begin my drawing. I take a lot of time to get the drawing accurate. A proficient watercolour artist requires lots of patience and good observation skills.
I always begin my paintings by looking closely at the tonal values and identifying these with variable degrees of yellow washes. This yellow tonal ‘map’ which may consist of as many as ten layers will give a richness and radiance to the subsequent layers of transparent colour pigment.
I must wait for each of many layers of colour pigment to dry completely before applying the next. This is a time consuming process and as a result I work on many paintings simultaneously. I build up the individual layers until I achieve the desired result and may require as many as thirty layers of coloured pigment. One painting typically takes me between 20-30 hours.
I have recently decided to make my art a commercial enterprise. I am currently developing a web site to show case my work for sale and would consider taking on limited commissions. More of my work can be seen at www.carolynjudge.com
Carolyn Judge joined Fine Art America on October 25th, 2011.
