Painter Judith Peck creates intimate portraits. Her subjects have a glow and a presence, as if you could speak directly to them. See more of her exquisite portfolio by visiting her website.
What are your goals?
Art can cross language, culture, and even era, and thus presents a unique opportunity to address elements of the human experience that do the same. In every piece, I attempt to strike a balance between something that draws the viewer in through visual appeal and something that communicates an idea. For me, becoming a better painter means being able to express myself more clearly and comment on the world around me with greater empathy.
What are you working on now?
I am currently working on a new series for a solo show at the Hoyt Institute of Art in New Castle, Pennsylvania. These pieces were inspired by Emily Dickinson’s poem “‘Hope’ is the Thing with Feathers,” which speaks to the presence of hope in even the most desperate of circumstances.
Surrounded by desolate and dreary landscapes, the subjects of these paintings could easily fade into their environment and disappear. Instead, they bear the quiet dignity of hard-fought victories and obstacles overcome, and the courage to have hope “in the chillest land and on the strangest sea.”
What inspires you?
I’ve always loved Jan van Eyck, Rogier van der Weyden, Hans Memling, Robert Campain, Vermeer, Rembrandt and Velazquez. The contemporary artist Odd Nerdrum is my hero.
While painting, I listen to everything from Brahms to the Rolling Stones to Tom Waits. While I may draw inspiration from history, poetry, and legal philosophy, I feel living in the world requires me to be aware of what is happening around me and informs my work.
Absolutely stunning!
Thank you so much Carolyn, very honored!