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atercolors. Pastels. And now oils.

Judy Crane has worked with all three mediums over her nearly 40 years as an artist.

Spring Stream

“I wanted to use an opaque medium,” she says of the switch away from watercolors. “I moved to oils because I wanted to get away from the glare of the sun on glass.” When framing watercolors and pastels, paintings need glass over them to protect the work. With oils, paintings could be framed without the glass. “Now I paint almost exclusively in oil.”

Lazy River

Quiet Moment

“It’s the play of light and shadow that interests me most. In recent years, I’ve also become more interested in just playing with paint.” Crane says her tool of choice has morphed from a brush to a palette knife, though squeegees have also become a new favorite tool. She uses them to create texture in her work.

Green Rivers

Twilight Bridge

Crane says her work has been described as peaceful and calming. It’s why, she says, “my work is found in so many hospitals.” Her work can be found in Duke University Hospital, UNC Health, UNC Rex Hospital, and Wake Forest Baptist. It also hangs in other corporate collections like banks, law firms, and medical offices as well as in private collections.

Last Rays

Reeds

“I’m painting now without as much reference material as I used to have,” Crane points out Lazy River. “I didn’t start with a reference, I was just painting with my mind.” The picture resembles a lake she walks by every morning.

Bold Marsh

The Village Gallery is open noon to 5p on Wednesdays and Sundays, and 10a – 5p, Thursday – Saturday.

Posted Wednesday August 3, 2022 by Allison DeWeese