OC Mag 01-22

Thompson has created several vivid watercolor representations of familiar scenes from Orange City’s Tulip Festival as well as a
historical railroad scene for the nearby city of Alton. She will be teaching two classes at the Orange City Library this winter and spring.
primarily on paper, so there is no need
to stretch canvas. Watercolors are also
portable and easy to take on the road.”
The process
Through her art Thompson hopes to
provide a new lens through
which people can see the
world around them.
“Creating an artwork is
hard work,” Thompson
said. “I start with an idea
or inspiration which may
come from a bike ride or
hike through the back roads
of Iowa or exploring a new
park. I may get excited
about the wind in the grasses,
the sunlight through the
trees or the drama of the
sky.”
She’ll take a few photos
and jot down notes about
colors and textures of a
scene and take those to her
studio for reference.
The next step takes
Thompson back to her
original artistic love as she
draws and sketches out several
ideas over the course of
several days.
“Once a composition
meets my approval I sketch
it on my watercolor paper and begin to
paint. My goal is to capture the feel of
a place and to capture the eye of the
viewer,” Thompson said.
For her, painting is adding color to
a drawing, and even when that step is
complete, she often adds another element
before the piece is finished.
“Many times I’ll add ink or charcoal
or draw with a wax crayon. I really like
the drawing element. It’s very direct
and I think that really shows the artist
through the paint,” Thompson said.
When it comes to her subjects, she
tries to capture something beyond just
a straight representation.
“When you’re really forced to look at
something in detail you don’t just assume
a tree or a leaf or birds look like
this or that. What I try to do is capture
what I call the gesture,” Thompson
said. “Even if you look at pieces of
fruit, they’re all different and all have
different personalities. You look closely
and one’s leaning a certain way. It’s the
same way with people — a tilt of the
head or how they position their body
— and that communicates something
and brings you into the painting.”
Subject matter
Judy Thompson creates works
of art from her home studio
in Orange City and has been
inspired by prairie landscapes
and the stories they hold,
especially after participating in
artist residencies at Homestead
National Historic Park in
Nebraska and Badlands
National Park in South Dakota.
She loves the expressive nature
of watercolors as well as the
possibilities that come with
combining it with other mediums.
As Thompson says, you can paint
just about anything.
Her mentor really enjoyed still lifes.
Thompson found them a bit tedious,
SPRING 2022 | OC MAGAZINE 19