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June Artists 2
June Artists
June artist 3

Judy Katz

Although interested in art from an early age, Judy Katz began her art studies after her 2002 retirement as a special education administrator. Since then, she has been enrolled in painting and drawing courses at a local community college; San Diego, California locations; with private artists; and the Evanston Art League. Initial works of art included still-life drawings and paintings created from montages and photographs.

While in San Miguel Mexico in 2008, Judy became interested in acrylic inks. To refine her skills in this media, she enrolled in a class taught by Maxine Masterfield in Sarasota Florida. Ms. Masterfield developed the method of painting called “Painting in the Spirit of Nature” in which she used acrylic inks to illuminate the beauty of our natural environment.

While serving as Artist in Residence in the Petrified National Forest, Arizona, for two weeks, Judy was inspired by the colors of the petrified trees. Feeling that this palette would be excellent for paintings, she began to create original interpreted works based on what was observed in the park. The purpose of the compositions was to enhance the beauty seen in the Petrified Forest National Park. Many of her paintings were inspired by the residency experience and other natural environments. She also developed more abstract techniques with acrylic paints in art classes.

Her artwork has been exhibited locally in several solo shows including the Lincolnwood Public Library and The Renaissance Gallery at the Chicago Cultural Center; group shows with the San Diego Art Department, Oakton Student Art Show, Emily Oaks (Skokie Art Club), North Shore Art Guild and the Evanston Art League Student Show.

Judy’s work has been recognized by various collectors. She received a commission to create four compositions based on the Four Seasons Symphony by Anton Vivaldi. Other interpretive works are displayed in private collections in Chicago; Sarasota, Florida; Seattle, Washington; San Diego and Santa Barbara, California; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and New York City.

Rick Katz

Rick has been taking photographs for many years, beginning with a Brownie box camera and eventually migrating to the digital world. His favorite subjects are parks (national, state, local and tribal) plus any place nature is on display. Rick also captures macro, portrait, event, and food images. Photography is very structured, being constrained by the physics of light. Capturing the events of the motion, the photograph freezes the scene in time, forever.

In this exhibit, Rick has selected views from various locations around the United States, with the hope of bringing to the viewer the excitement and power of the scenes displayed. The beauty of nature also provides a measure of serenity, away from the pressures and stresses of everyday life. He hopes viewing these images will encourage travel and appreciation of the natural beauty found in our country.

Recently, Rick has ventured into the unstructured world of acrylic pour painting. On display are a series of canvases created using varied techniques, but all related to acrylic pour painting. As structured as photography is, pour painting reaches the other end of the control spectrum; there is no control over how the paint flows. He encourages viewers to delve into each canvas and develop their own interpretation of each piece.

Rick’s work has been displayed at various galleries and venues in the greater Chicago area, in juried shows in Chicago, Highland Park, Skokie, Lincolnwood, and San Diego, and are also represented in private collections in Fairfax, Santa Barbara, and San Diego, California; Sarasota. Florida; New York; Phoenix, Arizona; Washington DC; and Chicago.

Rick can be reached at [email protected]. Rick teaches photography courses for Richard Stromberg Chicago Photography Classes at the Studio, 4001 North Ravenswood. Information is at www.chicagophotoclasses.com.