JUDY BELSKY
TRADITIONAL JEWISH RITUAL
Judy Belsky. Seven Species. Seven panels Mixed Media on canvas. 215 x 50 cm. © Art Market Magazine
Gold List Award Artist Judy Belsky. © Art Market Magazine
Judy Belsky’s art makes you look and look again. There seems to be something familiar in her work; she uses the subject of Jewish rituals, men and women in traditional robes. But the feeling tones are intensely alive, personal and not remote. It is as if she travels back in time for authenticity, then fuses that richness into the moment. The result is tradition, enhanced but not confined by the past. Her timeline is multilinear. Her use of color celebrates a deep connection to her subject with no apologies. Her perspective is unique, deeply personal and yet replete with history. In an age of alienation, her deeply intense use of color and joie de vivre are compelling and truly touching for any heart.
“I am fascinated by how an artist’s work develops. There is an inner artist in me that acts as a scout and always precedes me. She breaks new trails and leads me to incredible new vistas.
I began as a watercolor painter. I love the interaction of pigment and paper. I did not realize that I was confined by the size of the paper.
I knew that I loved my paintings when they were wet, but not nearly as well as they dried up. The greedy weft ate up the intensity of the pigment. The frustration led me to fluid acrylics. They are my dream team.
Judy Belsky. Man and Boy Dance. Mixed Media. Collage on canvas. 40 x 40 cm. Signed. © Art Market Magazine
I can drip, throw, glaze, build layers and spritz with no loss of intensity. For a short while, I used to play around with Yupo, which is not exactly paper and not very absorbent.
I then began to work on canvas. Bigger is better. My latest work in progress is over 6 feet high. In larger canvases, there is so much more scope for the image in my brain to come to life and reveal itself.
Judy Belsky. Man with Shofar. Mixed Media. Collage on canvas.110 x 80 cm. Signed. © Art Market Magazine
Recently, I began playing with monotype, which led me back to nature: birds, fish, and the Seven Species as a tribute to traditions of Israel. Monotype lends itself to repetition, to the building of a theme. I am currently experimenting with monotype of black and white figures in motion.
My discovery of collage was fortunate. It suits me very well since I often excavate and highlight the origins of Jewish history and tradition in my work. De-collage reveals the layers, sometimes stripping back to the origin, a peeling back to a lost moment.
My work as an artist, a psychotherapist and a poet converges in the search for a central metaphor that is rich enough to contain the heart. This central metaphor is best presented in abstraction to leave room for lyricism. I resist cliché even when tradition is my subject. When we make something uniquely our own, it is always whole, alive and in the present.
To follow my inner artist, I need to be attentive, to abandon fear and to work hard. The process is similar to psychotherapy: I tell myself (and my patients) to choose an open palm over a closed fist. Be ready to catch the windfall; be ready to reveal the gifts”.
Judy Belsky. Dancer. Mixed Media. Collage on canvas. 60 x 40 cm. Signed. © Art Market Magazine
Judy Belsky. Sabbath Peace. Mixed Media. Collage on canvas. 70 x 100 cm. Signed. © Art Market Magazine
Website: judybelsky.com
email: drjudybelsky@gmail.com
