Judy Caroline Steinfeldt, a resident of Coronado Cays and Encino, California has been actively involved in the arts since the 1950s. Early in her career, Judy was a recording artist with Capitol Records. Judy went on to attend UCLA where she received a bachelor's and master's degrees in psychology. After marrying in 1965, she raised her family in Los Angeles. During this time, Judy began taking art classes experimenting and creating intricately complex artwork using various media including paper making, collage, fiber art and oil paints. She later attended The Brentwood Institute of Art in Brentwood California where she learned to create abstract acrylic paintings using new and creative methods.
In her current work, Judy challenges the boundaries of art-making and has experimented with not only conventional tools such as palette knife and brushes but wind tools such as breath, straws and handheld hairdryers in various sizes to move her fluid acrylics mixed with various mediums to the consistency she seeks. Her pigments are personally pigmented and hand created. Some of her artwork has been enhanced with gold leaf and exotic stones such as rose quartz to emphasize the movement in the painting all contributing to her bold, personal style of expressionism. Her work may appear spontaneous and random, which it is to a degree, but underlying all is a carefully constructed visual juxtaposition of balance, chaos and control - an artistic device used by the American Expressionists.. The result is a powerful display of movement and color which illustrates her deep understanding of the beauty and unpredictability of nature and life. Each piece is unique and cannot be recreated as the moment cannot be recreated. Judy declares the paint talks to her and she responds leading to a piece that is a true collaboration between artist and medium. This is the part that absolutely delights her, the magic of the piece that can never be recreated even by the artist, herself.
Judy has previously sold her work in Coronado California and Donated work to raise money for Breast Cancer Action and Autism Speaks.
Judy is very much a process painter.
When she composes her paintings, the first step is what colors are calling out to her which is very much influenced by her surroundings. Then she is influenced by music, and dance....very much the feeling, gracefulness, balance. Does it make her happy? Does it flow? Is there harmony, grace and movement? Rarely is a painting about a thing that she can see but rather about playful imagination creating it. Judy finds the process truly magical which is what she tries to convey in her paintings. Each viewer may see different things in the painting. There is no "right" answer.
Through the unorthodox techniques she uses to paint, depth and movement are created on the surface of the canvas. The images created become three-dimensional and atmospheric which invites the viewer to contemplate the complexities of the compositions.