in the mezzanine gallery
“In the Studio with Saveria Judge and Barb Wills: A Behind the Scene Glimpse of the Artists at Work “
November 15 – December 28, 2021
Prescott’s 4th Friday Art Walk Reception
November 26th 5:00 – 7:00 PM
Saveria Judge
Pinned to my refrigerator is a quote by Marcus Aurelius. “Look things in the eye and know them for what they are.” I ask, how does the look of things reveal their purpose? This extends to all of nature and its visual language of art. Beginning with honest observation, the story can be summarized or detailed, representative or abstracted, but must be authentic.
“In The Studio” features a series of my recent monoprints. I am excited by the breadth and sensitivity of this one-of-a-kind process. I can work with the immediacy of painting directly on a plate and pulling one print. Or, I can work with many plates, layering and combining other printing techniques in a series of changing but related, nuanced prints, where one thing leads to another. Included in this exhibit is an example of how this process works. A series of multiple plates and changes leads to that one final print chosen to be framed for exhibition.
Creating art, art history and teaching continues to be a life long adventure. Born in Itri, Italy, raised in Rhode Island and educated in Massachusetts and NYC, I have spent most of my adult life in the Prescott area. You can find me in classrooms, studios and galleries, curating and judging exhibits and serving on boards for public art events.
Barb Wills
My artwork is driven by a passion to experiment and create. Having worked as a Hi-Tech engineer has provided me with years of technical experimentation and risk taking, leading to creative problem solving and new discoveries. Inspiration and imagery come from my natural environment of forests, mountains, rocks, marks on the ground and trails, on the trees and in the sky. Time spent working in Asia strongly influence my palette and use of color.
I begin with blank spaces. I work with bare copper plates, Shibori, Discharge and painting techniques using blank relief plates and white silk. Any preliminary “sketching” is done in my mind or consists of quick marks or words in my journal. Every piece is a new journey through layers of imagery, discovery and my response to the materials. The multi-layered surface that is created allows viewers to look closely through the layers to see and feel the beauty of a place, a mark -and to experience a peaceful moment of discovery.
