A solo exhibit of still lifes, draperies and figures in the classical tradition by Judith Pond Kudlow will be on view December 2 through January at the Cooper & Smith Gallery. Opening reception with the artist: Saturday, December 5, from 4:30-7:30 p.m.
Shadows spill onto a table or gather in folds of fabric to fill a canvas. They narrow the defiant gaze of a young girl in flowing white. An air of mystery patterns these introspective narratives, the unseen as essential as any surface detail.
Judith Kudlow, a Montana native, now resides in New York City, where she received her art training. Her working method is based on the nineteenth century academic tradition which emphasizes working from life to produce paintings based on precise drawing, careful modeling to produce the three-dimensional illusion, harmonious and accurate colors and values, and compositions based on time-honored rules. Her interest in classical drapery studies has led her most recently to produce a series of paintings focused on contemporary fabrics. She teaches and paints at The Harlem Studio of Art, NYK Academy, which she founded in 2002 with artist Andrea J. Smith. The American Artist (2011) listed the atelier as one of the top 10 art schools in America.