Born in a small town in the middle of the USA, Judy is a professional international artist, who moved to the UK from Italy after living and working in eight countries as well as travelling and exhibiting in many more.
She has artwork in public and private art collections worldwide, including Dean Clough Halifax, and The Royal Mint’s Landmarks of Britain collection.
As Judy’s website states: ‘The ‘lived in’ experience of other cultures is evident in the diversity of her abstract and eclectic styles of art practice over the years. Her work is never intended to be a reproduction of what is out there but rather a compilation of upcycled objects, colours, textures and sometimes texts that are selected from findings along the way. She enjoys the challenge of taking something well read and putting it into another context, exploring the relationship of things old, new and just different. This is no doubt a result of her many ways of living in various cultures while making her own personal art work for her.’
As a newcomer to Yorkshire, she needed to make new friends and professional contacts so she decided to run a private abstract art class.
She says: “Abstract art is very different from making realistic artwork. There are no rules and there is nothing to help you decide where to start and where to end, whether it is good or bad.
“Abstract art cannot be based on what sells best to the public, but rather it is based on self-expression and using your own personal creativity. Adults find it particularly difficult as we are so used to being told what to do and how to do it. Traditional art classes in schools have done little to encourage free expression so that we think we lack ability to make art.”
The women who have attended Judy’s classes have all successfully proved themselves in other distinguished careers but had never been allowed to be free and create a unique style of making art, independent of anyone telling them what to do.
Says Judy: “Given the opportunity, they have all excelled in experimenting with all manner of ideas, personal and meaningful to them, using a wide selection of implements and materials on canvas.
“People often think abstract art is easy – it is not. It relies on your innate creativity which is often buried deep inside us with no previous outlet in which it could be released. It requires a completely different way of thinking and a great deal of learned confidence and patience as you progress.”
Michelle Russell and Claire Collen attended Judy’s first class and both have exhibited and sold their artwork as professional artists, both locally and nationally.
Julia Priestley, Georgina Lane, Andrea Shevloff and Sue Copeman-Helm attend her present class and for some of these women, this is their first experience exhibiting their artwork publicly. Their art is no less professional, however, as they are all competent and confident painters who have developed their own contemporary styles of painting of their own.
*The Bronte Square Art Project is at Bingley Arts Centre, Main St, Bingley BD16 2L, until April 8, 2026.
The art can be seen on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10am to 1pm
The exhibition is in the bar area of the centre, so the artworks will be visible at all evening events.
Visit judysaleartist.co.uk; @judysale; @judysale12
*Bingley Arts Centre has two fully equipped spaces for theatre which are popular for dance, music gigs and a whole host of social events. There are two bars and car parking.
*Bingley Little Theatre puts on a busy programme of between eight and nine productions throughout the year.
*visitbradford.com/things-to-do/bingley-arts-centre
