Judy Levy is a life-long New Jersey resident, has enjoyed exploring a wide variety of mediums throughout her artistic journey. She worked as an art teacher in public and private schools, developed and taught an art program for senior citizens, and created a line of appliqued clothing for children and adults that sold in stores nationwide. While continuing to create art, Judy had a full-time job as a school district’s public relations coordinator for 23 years. She also served as a Trustee for the South Orange-Maplewood Adult School for more than 30 years. A long-time supporter of a South African charity, Ubuntu Pathways, Judy has visited the country 10 times in as many years and has incorporated South African material and designs in her watercolor and mixed media artwork.
Jozi-South Africa
Artist Statement
Over the many years I have enjoyed creating art, my approach has continued to change. Watercolor has always been one of my favorite mediums, and recently I have become intrigued with adding ink, fabric, textural and three-dimensional objects to my watercolor paintings on paper. This aspect is most pronounced in Rethinking a Cityscape 1 and 2, Jozi-South Africa, and City in Black and White. I use a dry watercolor method to build color through layering.
As a teenager, I developed an interest in sewing, both by hand and machine, to make my own clothes. That evolved into using various sewing techniques to create appliques on clothing, which I turned into a business venture. Most recently I have been adding sewn fabric to my watercolor paintings to add new visual effects to my work.
The contrast of light and dark, varieties of textures and contradictions in subject matter interest me the most. I always hope viewers will look deeper to find something that captures their interest. Nature and architectural design are often the subjects I use to tie my ideas together.
