Click here to view all work by Judy Mullen.  

Using the ancient technique of fresco painting, I record moments of human experience on fragmented, irregular shapes of plaster. Layering the prepared surface with a mixture of sand and limestone putty, I allow each piece to create its own pattern of cracks and jagged edges. The application of plaster along with room moisture and temperature contribute to the individuality of each piece, and consequently guides how the paint will be applied.

My paintings and plaster work are inspired from sources as varied as films; architectural drawings and map surveys; the music of Bob Dylan; the mark making of prehistoric art; and natural organic forms and shapes, such as tree bark and root systems, and rock formations and surface textures. I also am influenced by such mid-century iconic artists as Miro and Paul Klee as well as contemporary magazine photographs, graphics and artwork.

Each composition, whether it be in plaster or oil, uses these disparate elements in combination to strike a harmonious balance, just as our daily lives today are about finding orderly equilibrium.

Solo Exhibits:
“Navigations” Craig Smith Gallery, Harbert, MI, 2006
“Fresco Works” Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, IL, 2006
University Club of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 2004

Group Exhibits:
“Works in Progress” Espace Pilar Riberaygua, Gramont, France, 2007
“Group Exhibit” Beacon Street Gallery, Chicago, IL, 2006
“8th International Open” Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, IL, 2005
“Small Works” Harper College, Palatine, IL 2005
“27th Annual Works on Paper” Maryland Federation of the Arts, Annapolis, MD, 2004

Awards & Grants:
Illinois Arts Council Grant, 2007
1st Place, “8th International Open”, Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, IL 2005
Professional Artist Residency, Oxbow, Saugatuck, MI