artists and demonstrators
Judy Adamson

"Towpath at Goytre Wharf"
painting by Judy Adamson

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Judy Adamson grew up in the Isle of Wight and has lived in Kent, Norfolk and Herefordshire before moving to Abergavenny in 2002, Diverted from pursuing a career as a graphic designer by well-intentioned parents, she instead read German at Somerville College, Oxford, before going on to teach in a number of primary schools.

Drawing and painting have been an important part of her life for as long as she can remember and during her time as a teacher and while bringing up her family, she painted as much as time allowed, using oils and acrylics but mostly watercolours. She took courses in Interior Design and Silkscreen Printing, designed and screen printed fabrics for a fashion cooperative, and made papier mache accessories, often adapting ethnic sources to create bold designs, which have also been the basis of many of her strikingly colourful patchwork quilts. She has also designed and painted stage sets for amateur dramatic productions.

'I am a largely self-taught artist, and believe that everyone is capable of creating works of art if they wish to do so. However, courses at Wensum Lodge, Norwich (1989 - 91) played an important part in developing both my skills and my ideas. I now use my camera as a sketchbook and simply record things which 'ask to be painted' - this could be anything, from a corner of a room to a cathedral, although landscapes, gardens and boats have predominated recently; my PC is an invaluable editing tool which helps me to explore the pattern of shapes, colours and textures which have caught my eye and it is this pattern which is important to me rather than the subject matter itself. I find soft pastels are best suited to the way I work because they are very direct and allow me to work quickly and decisively.

First and foremost I paint for my own fulfilment but I also hope that my work will make others aware of the visual feast which is all around us; if one of my pictures 'speaks' to just one other person, I feel it has achieved its aim.