Artist Profile
The Artist:
Judy Thompson is an artist of the plains and has called rural NW Iowa her home for over 35 years. This area, known as Siouxland, is home to vast fields, big skies and lush prairies. It is where three states (Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota) meet at the confluence of the Big Sioux and Missouri Rivers, and lies right on the edge of the Western Frontier. These Great Plains are full of history, diverse landscapes and natural beauty, providing the perfect inspiration for Judy's watercolor paintings.
I create contemporary watercolors which engage and connect the viewer to the beautiful, yet complex landscapes of the Great Plains.
Judy's Resumé
Judy's Bio:
Judy grew up in the suburbs of Chicago in a small apartment attached to her family's lumberyard. Playing outside was not always an option, so Judy spent many hours drawing and creating. Her summers were spent in the wilds of Wisconsin where she fished, swam, and hunted for bugs while exploring the family's 95-acre property. These experiences infused a lifelong wonderment of nature and a wanderlust for the out-of-doors.
In school, Judy excelled at art. Field trips to the Chicago Art Museum introduced her to the wonderful world of fine art and fueled her enthusiasm to create. Her efforts were awarded with a college scholarship to study art. However, following the advice of her well meaning parents, she declined the scholarship and pursued other courses of
study.
Judy's love of the western plains began during college when she took advanced biology and ecology classes in the Black Hills and Badlands of South Dakota. Wanting to experience more of the "wilds of the West", she joined the campus rock climbing club to climb Gannett Peak in Wyoming. Decades later, when she finally returned to her art, Judy once again immersed herself in the Western plains--this time as an artist-in-residence, first in Nebraska and then South Dakota.
Judy continues to explore and paint the wide open spaces which surround her home, The result is a body of work which speaks to the enduring beauty and tenacity of the Great Plains.
Twilight View. ©Judy Thompson
The object of painting is not to reflect the visible but to make visible.
Paul Klee
Artist Statement:
I create colorful, textured paintings which explore the historical and contemporary dynamics of the Midwest’s changing landscape and which speak to the intricate relationships that exist within our prairie ecosystem.
My medium of choice is transparent watercolor which is both expressive and versatile. Its application can be immediate and dynamic, or ordered and manipulated. Its moods range from tranquil to exciting—and even chaotic. This broad spectrum allows me to explore the medium’s capabilities and push its limits to create new and distinctive textures within my paintings. To accomplish this, I experiment with a variety of surface treatments and mixed media techniques. One of my favorite applications is to outline and connect the shapes and colors within my paintings using charcoal, ink or wax crayon.
The resulting tapestry serves as a metaphor of the complex connections within the ecosystem and the human impact our actions have upon our environment.
Field Days. ©Judy Thompson
...her work is important as a mid-western artist.. Through her research, she has developed an interest in both the history and landscape of the Midwest, and has made an important contribution towards an aesthetic appreciation of both.
Joanne Alberda, Associated Art Professor, Retired. Dordt University
The Process:
Accomplishments:
Judy’s artwork has received national and regional awards, including Best of Show in the Iowa Watercolor Society Annual Juried Exhibition. Her work is informed by her experiences as an artist-in-residence at the Homestead National Historical Park, NE (formerly the Homestead National Monument); Badlands National Park, SD and Custer State Park, SD. She is also a grant recipient of the Iowa Arts Council through the National Endowment for the Arts.
Judy is a signature member of the Iowa Watercolor Society, an associate member of WAOW (Women) Artists of the West and a member of the Great Plains Watercolor Society. Her recent exhibitions and shows include the Center for Western Studies, SD; Coors Western Art Show and Sale, Denver; the Museum of Agrarian Art, NE; Dordt College, IA; Northwestern College, IA and the Artists of the Plains Show and Sale, SD.
Judy is represented by:
Rehfeld's Modern, Sioux Falls, SD
Prairie Edge, Rapid City, SD
Lanesboro Arts Arts, Lanesboro, MN
See Purchase Information for details.
Publications and Collections:
The Homestead Series, inspired by an artist residency at the Homestead National Historic Park, has toured extensively throughout the Midwest to celebrate the signing of the Homestead Act. The series is now in the permanent collection of the National Park Service. at the Homestead National Historical Park, Beatrice, NE.
Deep & Wide on the cover of Nebraska Life Magazine, March/April, 2012 ©Judy Thompson
Judy is the artist who created the covers for the Pioneer Girl series published by the South Dakota Historical Society Press. These four volumes celebrate the life and work of Laura Ingalls Wilder. The first book, Pioneer Girl: The Autobiography of Laura Ingalls Wilder, was a best seller on the New York Times Best Seller List which features the painting, Silver Lake Reflections..
Please note: Only Silver Lake Reflections is available as a print. and can only be purchased at the South Dakota Historical Foundation Heritage Store. .
Judy's work can be found in the collections of Avera Health, Sanford Health, National Park Service, State of South Dakota, Center for Western Studies, Northwestern College, South Dakota Historical Society, and in the homes of many private collectors.