Art News DFW Archive

DeSoto Arl League presents

JUDY GELFERT -- WORKING IN OIL DEMO

JANUARY 26, 2012 7:00 PM

DESOTO PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 212 W. Pleasant Run Rd, Desoto, Texas 75154
VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT desotoartleague.com.

JUDY GELFERT

Judy Gelfert's paintings reflect her ever-enthusiastic attention to design and light in everyday surroundings, be it the landscape, urban scene, interior, or figure. Painting loosely with a limited palette of primary colors and white, Judy aims to capture the essence and feel of a scene, leaving detail to the viewer's imagination.

Currently a resident of Arlington, Texas, Judy grew up on her family's ranch in Bowie, Texas, where she discovered her joy of drawing and painting at a young age. Her interest in art led her to earn two years of studio art credits at the University of Texas at Austin while majoring in history and German. After graduation, she became a flight attendant and was based in San Francisco, London, Santiago de Chile, and Washington, D.C. During this time, Judy began to focus on oils, painting on her days off, taking advantage of subject-matter inspired by her travels.

In 2002, she became a full-time artist. Since then she has shown her work on the local and national level, winning numerous awards, among them 1st Place in the National Society of Artists' 22nd National Juried Competition, and entries in the 2005 and 2006 Oil Painters of America National Juried Competition.

Now a busy mother of 2 small children, Judy still paints every chance she gets, and finds endless inspiration in the rugged landscapes of Texas, her native state. She's currently represented by Marta Stafford Fine Art in Marble Falls, Texas, and The Good Art Company in Fredericksburg, Texas.

Judy teaches periodic workshops through various art associations in Texas.

" I create to involve the viewer by expressing emotions and intangible concepts, supported by strong design. My paintings take me to places that I can't get to, and convey so much that I can't express in any other way. Phrases, brief comments or a scene, can move me to tears and I feel compelled to paint it."

Teta enjoys weaving in symbolism and avoids photo realism in her work, preferring the sort of elusive quality that prompts a closer look. " The process of painting engages me, I am always disappointed when a painting is finished. Art that expresses a bit of the artist's soul is inspiring."

"My fascination with color paid off, when three of my paintings were chosen to be in the bookConfident Color by Nita Leland."

Teta is an Associate member ofNational Watercolor Society, a Member of Richardson Civic Art Society, Southwestern Art Society, and Collage Visual Art.One of her paintings won Best of Show for First time entries in RCAS exhibition. Over the years she has won numerous awards in the Vertu Art Exhibition. Her work has also been part of the juried Park Cities Presbyterian Church's annual art exhibition.

Teta also teaches Beginning Realistic and Beginning Abstract Watermedia painting classes. A seasoned teacher, she holds an undergraduate degree in Education and a Masters degree in Counseling, which is a terrific combination for teaching the art of painting to beginners.

Teta finds it satisfying when students apply the weekly lesson to subjects that inspire them. She spends a third of the class time in a demo & lecture format, and the rest of the time helping each student. Stimulated by the variety in her class, students are encouraged to paint everything, from realistic watercolor portraits, to non-representational acrylic paintings.