“Bloom Where You are Planted” by Judy Bihary
Charlene Romanos
The PebbleCreek Art Club introduced their virtual spring show March 22 through April 12, 2020. Three independent judges made their selections for various honors, and their choice of show favorite was Judy Bihary’s “Bloom Where You are Planted.”
Judy Bihary is an Arizona artist who holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in art education, and taught art in the New Jersey public schools for over 13 years. During that time, Judy worked as a fiber artist, incorporating a wide variety of techniques, materials, textures, and colors into her mixed media fiber creations.
When Judy began working with gourds in 2001, the medium was a perfect transition from her earlier textile work. She is, at heart, a mixed-media artist. Judy uses a variety of techniques in her gourd creations, such as dyeing, painting, burning, weaving, coiling, building surface textures, and constructing.
Judy loves the process of creating, and her latest piece, “Bloom Where You are Planted,” incorporates a new medium, Fiber Clay, which is an air-dry clay that covers the gourd, then Judy painted it, giving this beautiful piece a bronze-like finish.
Judy’s piece, entered in the PCAC 2020 Spring Art Show, was selected by the judges to be awarded the “Judges Choice” ribbon. Judy says, “For me, art is a journey of the mind and soul.” Congratulations to Judy on this most honored award.