Local Artist Judith de Graffenried Colors our World

Judith Randall de Graffenried, a friend and local artist, is a Professor of Fine Arts and Program Coordinator at Middlesex Community College in Middletown, CT. In the accompanying video, shot by videogapher Chris Ford, she describes some of her art and what it means to her.

Judith earned her BA and MAT degrees in German from the University of South Carolina and her MFA degree in painting from Brooklyn College of the City University of New York. After completing graduate school she received a German Academic Exchange Grant to study at the Art Academy of Munich for two semesters. She also studied Painting at Queens College of the City University of New York and Indiana University.

"Resort City", Watercolor & Color Pencil

"Reflections", Watercolor & Color Pencil

In her own award-winning paintings – cityscapes, gardenscapes, still lifes and figurative studies – Judith deals with the metaphorical use of space and geometry. In all these works an established sense of space is juxtaposed against an underlying geometric grid or pattern creating a construct into which the viewer can project his or her own interpretations. In her figurative studies Judith addresses the inherent design principles found in artistic anatomy as well as the universal energy forms animating these subjects. Recently Judith has been combining her practices in meditation with studies in fluid water based media. The resulting channeled imagery is developed further in Photoshop or simply left as it emerged on the paper. The spiritual is revealed thus through the physical.

For 18 years before assuming her position at MxCC, Judith worked as a commercial artist providing illustrations for advertisements, textbooks, corporate brochures, and other promotional materials. Her client list includes Miller Brewing Company, John Deere, NBC, HBO Cable Network, Paramount, Showtime Cable Network, A&E Cable Network, Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press.

As a fine artist she has exhibited her work in more than 50 national juried exhibitions. Awards from these national competitions include:

Best in Show for “American Landscapes” at the Maryland Federation of Art, Best in Show for the “Celebration of the Arts National Juried Exhibition” at the Montpelier Center for the Arts, and Strathmore Award for Excellence. She is a member of the Watercolor USA Honor Society.

Judith is a painter and Reiki Master. She lives in Trumbull, CT with her husband, son, two pit bulls and 150 koi and goldfish. Her hobbies include reading history, practicing yoga, gardening and maintaining her large koi fish pond.

The above taken from her web site, http://jdegraffenried.wixsite.com/mysite