Judith Crown- Featured Artist
You won our March ‘Modern World’ photography competition, what can you tell us about your entry ‘At the Art Gallery’?
My photograph “At the Art Gallery” was taken at the UK Coloured Pencil Society exhibition in Birmingham in May 2014. I saw the ideal composition waiting to be photographed, and luckily the children’s father was standing near them so I was able to ask permission. I took a few photos, but only one of them was perfect! Tiny changes in position can make a great change to the composition. I loved the way that the children were happy concentrating and totally unaware of all the people and what was going on in the gallery.
Tell us about your journey into art and photography…
I have been taking photographs and drawing since I was a child. I know that I took black and white photographs when I was in France at the age of ten, though I don’t have those photographs anymore. I took photos of the fascinating chateaux that we visited! My father also loves photography, and we still go out walking together occasionally, both of us with our cameras. My favourite subject for photography is landscapes. I love to walk in beautiful places especially where there is water.
What can you tell us about your art style?
I would say that my three favourite hobbies are walking, photography and art. I often use my photographs as sources for my coloured pencil pictures, but my ideal is to have time to sit down somewhere beautiful and sketch, and then finish the picture at home using my photographs for the colours. I like to catch the atmosphere of a place with my photographs; the clouds and the lighting, the old trees with their interesting shapes.
Tell us about some of your artistic pieces…
November at the Jephson Gardens, Leamington Spa, is one of my favourite photos. I was lucky enough to be there on a sunny day in November, a few days before a storm stripped the trees of their glorious leaves.
“Lagavulin on the rocks” is one of my favourite drawings. It is assorted coloured pencils on white Strathmore vellum paper. I loved the pebbles and foliage in the little bay by the distillery, and I took many photos near there too.
I have been a member of the UK Coloured Pencil Society for about ten years, and exhibit in their annual exhibition.
Exhibiting with the UKCPS, ( www.ukcps.co.uk ) gives me much pleasure. This year it is at the Menier Gallery. One of my two pictures accepted is called “Near Lynmouth”. I took the photo I used to work from on the lovely walk from Lynmouth to Watersmeet. Even when it rains, it is beautiful there, but for my third visit, the sun shone and everywhere was special.
I used a mixture of types of coloured pencils on black Somerset Velvet paper for my picture.
Drawing relaxes me. Working on black paper is exciting as one does not quite know what is going to happen! It is very different to working on white paper. I go upstairs to my desk in the visitors’ room after supper almost every evening to draw/paint with my coloured pencils. In the past, when I had more time during the day, I sometimes did oil painting or acrylic, but now I like coloured pencils – they have many advantages including not having to wash brushes, or wait until a picture is dry before it can be put away…
(Nant Gwernol, above, is in Wales, near Tywyn, reached by the Talyllyn railway. The picture is on black paper with an assortment of coloured pencils.)
What are your future plans in the art and photography world?
My dream is to explore the UK, especially the coastal areas, taking photographs and drawing. I still have so many places to visit, and there is not enough time. I visited Ilfracombe and the nearby areas in Devon several times, and I have been to Wales and Scotland, but I have not yet been to the mountains in North Wales, or to the East coast of the UK. I would like to go back to Skye for long enough to have some sunny days. The list is endless for where I would like to go.
Regarding my future plans, I want time! I would like to be able to make my travel dream come true. I would like to be able to exhibit my photos and drawings one day in a solo exhibition. I can dream…
Visit Judith’s page to see more of her wonderful work
