Judith Stein 

I am a painter and mixed media artist from Needham, Massachusetts. Even though I was convinced that I could never be an artist, I began painting relatively late in life on a whim. Painting was supposed to be my husband’s new pastime, but after seeing how much fun he was having slathering paint on a canvas, I joined in immediately and I haven’t stopped since!

I love painting abstract works because abstraction frees up the artist to explore one’s inner life as well as the external environment. Often, I am inspired by my memories of and recent escapades to my favorite places. While I may aim to re-create the rich colors, textures, and rhythms found in nature, my paintings also reflect the feelings that I experience when I am surrounded by beautiful landscapes and waterways.

My favorite medium is oil paint mixed with cold wax (beeswax, resin, & mineral spirits). I love the buttery texture of the cold wax medium and the transparency and luminosity that it adds to the paint. The combination also enables me to embed many different textures into the paint and once many layers are applied, I can reveal underlying layers by sanding, scraping, or removing the most superficial layers with mineral spirits.

More recently, I have been exploring the medium of collage. Now I am enjoying creating works using my own gelli printed papers along with photos, found papers, and Japanese rice papers.

My two favorite activities......hanging out in my studio and making art and spending time with my grandchildren!!