Judy Moritz

Vera Curnow, CPSA, CPX, our fabulous CPSA founder, put out a challenge call for self-portraits. My husband and I were struggling with many health issues at the time so I could not fathom doing a “happy” face, but I love doing portraits that capture expressions.  I decided to do a piece with two portraits. After sinking into the depth of sad feelings while drawing reasons for my stressed-out face, I then turned to drawing a peaceful me surrounded by things that I love.  This experience was quite therapeutic.

I have been painting and drawing for 27 years.  After retiring from a nursing career, I started taking art classes at the Northshore Senior Center in Bothell, Washington in oil painting and drawing/colored pencil. I have had a lot of fun since then with branching out into acrylic painting, watercolor, and briefly pastels.  I have been teaching drawing/colored pencil at the same Northshore Senior Center since 2009 and have found that sharing the art of colored pencil drawing with senior artists gives me great joy and wonderful friends.

I am enthralled by the beauty in minute details whether it is in a flower, a portrait, an animal picture or a landscape.  I simply cannot let a painting or drawing be finished until the details seem right to me.  I also love to push the colors to their most vibrant hues.  Perhaps it is from my background as a research nurse where details mattered, or my love of sewing, and quilting where color is so engaging, but it seems to be an innate trait of mine.  It has led me to colored pencil where I can get those fine details or to painting very slowly in a realistic style. When a scene is special to me, I relive the experience and beauty by painting or drawing it. 

 As a member of the Colored Pencil Society of America, Seattle, Washington (CPSA207.org) since 1998, I have shown in many of their local shows. I currently serve as the webmaster and gallery person for the chapter.  I received my CPX honor in 2022. I was juried into the Northwest Artists in Action in 2005 and actively participated in more than 65 shows with them. 

For more information, please view my website at www.judymoritzfinearts.com or email me at moritz4art@gmail.com.

Although I like the motto “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again’, I also believe in “Do the best you can with the time, energy and health that you have while concentrating on the beauty and good in life.”