Do you like modern still life paintings?  Do you just love good art?  Either way, we have a real treat for you this month. Judy Prisoc is such an artist who lives and works in Gig Harbor, Washington.  

Her food paintings will make you absolutely hungry for more.  Her still life work is positioned so the focus of her work is clear, leaving you no doubt as to what inspires her for each particular painting. She has a beautiful, painterly way with oils which will leave you starved for more.

We are proud to introduce you to Wandering Educator’s July Artist of the Month, Judy Prisoc.  We know you will enjoy what Judy has to share.

Asparagus on Red, 24” by 18” oil on canvas

Ball Wide Mouth 12” by 16” oil on panel

Is art your full-time career?

I used to balance a teaching career with being an artist. In Illinois I taught art history at Northeastern Illinois University and Morton College; printmaking at Oakton College and life drawing at Triton College. 

In 1998, I designed the art program and subsequently taught all art classes for Prairie Crossing Charter School, a unique school that emphasizes studies in conservation and environmentalism. I held this position until 2004 when I moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Now that I am no longer teaching, I focus entirely on painting.

Candle on Brass Stand 9” by 12” oil on panel

Seven Pears 18” by 36” oil on canvas

Guacamole 12” by 16” oil on panel

Do you have favorite places you like to create? 

The creative process begins in the world of visual stimuli. With still life sometimes it originates at the farmer’s market when I find beautiful fruits and vegetables – or at an antique store when I discover something I want to paint. I place my newly acquired objects on a counter top or ledge and photograph them. I often carry a camera with me out in nature to take photos of possible subjects. Next I continue the process in my studio where I edit and print photos to use as reference. 

The places I like to create are numerous – I am constantly looking at everything for new ideas – but I do most of my painting in my studio which is on the second story of our home in Gig Harbor.

Drippy White Candle 12” by 16” oil on panel

Egg Candle 9” by 12” oil on panel

What materials do you prefer?

I use oil paint on canvas, gessoed panel or paper. Each of these surfaces yields a different result. With paper and gessoboard I achieve a hyper-detailed image with rich, velvety solid colors. With canvas the result is more painterly. I love to draw with a variety of materials.

Five Pears on Flagstone 30” by 40” oil on canvas

Four Pears in a Bowl 36” by 48” oil on canvas

Four Pears on Wood 30 by 40” oil on canvas

Where and how are you inspired?

I am inspired by nature and by the work of other artists. Ideas often come to me when I am horseback riding or hiking with my dogs. When I go to a museum or gallery and see art that has been created all over the world by many different artists, I am inspired.

Over the years I have experimented with a variety of techniques and visual approaches and I have been influenced by everything from Constructivism to Pop. I have been fortunate to travel extensively and see paintings by Vermeer, Chardin, Cezanne, Gerhardt Richter, Wayne Thiebaud, as well as less famous artists whose work I admire: Mark Innerst, Vija Celmins, and Catherine Murphy. These artists influenced me but they also opened my eyes to a larger vision of what art can be.  

Glass of Water and Two Potatoes 12” by 16” oil on panel

Guacamole on White 20” by 24” oil on canvas

How do you know when a piece is done?

I work on a painting until I am not sure what to do with it anymore. Then I set it aside and start on something new. Sometimes I hold the painting up to a mirror (my studio has mirrored sliding doors on the storage closet which is handy for this). When I am truly sick of working on a painting and I am convinced that it is done, this usually means that I have about ten more hours of work to do.

Hatch Red 22” by 28” oil on canvas

Do you work on one or more pieces at a time?

I often work on more than one painting. Because I work in oil, I get to a point where I need to stop to allow the paint to dry before I can continue. This is when I begin on another painting. Sometimes it is useful to set a painting aside for a couple of days and return with a fresh eye.

Horned Lizard with Orchid 24” by 30” oil on canvas

Orange Lightning 24” by 30” oil on canvas

How can our readers find and purchase your art?

My paintings are available at Convergence Gallery, 219 West San Francisco, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501, (505) 986-1245, convergencegallery.com 
Ebb Tide Gallery, 7809 Pioneer Way, Gig Harbor, Washington 98335, (253) 851-5293 ebbtidegalleryofgifts.com
WhiteChapel Gallery, 47 Morris Street, Mayville, New York 14757

Three Bosc and One D’Anjou 24” by 36”

Three Pears and Butterfly 36” by 48”

Three Pears on a Plate 24” by 24”

Would you like to share anything else with us?

I received a Master of Arts degree in Art from California State University in Sacramento.

My artwork has been exhibited in galleries in Illinois, New York State, Arizona, California, Florida and New Mexico and has been selected for numerous solo exhibits and juried exhibitions throughout the United States and abroad. I have won awards for my work in Illinois, California and Florida. 

In July 2014, I moved to Gig Harbor with my husband, Steve, my two dogs and two cats.

I enjoy depicting familiar objects and views with an exactitude that requires continuously learning to really look at familiar subjects and see beyond what I expect.

Two Pears and a Book 24” by 30” oil on canvas

War and Peace and Peppers 18” by 24” oil on canvas

Kim Rodeffer Funk is the Art Editor for Wandering Educators. She notes, "I am an abstract painter and have enjoyed living a creative life for many years. In 2012, I co-founded Atelier 325 with Andrea Hupke de Palacio, and today show my art in Europe and the United States."

You can find her at http://www.kimrodefferfunk.net/

All photos courtesy and copyright Judy Prisoc