So, I've been meaning to share a bit about my recent dive into the work of Judith Kudlow, the artist. It wasn't some formal study, mind you, more like a personal exploration, a bit of a journey I went on.
It all kicked off when I was just idly browsing, trying to find some art, something different for a change. You know how it is, you see a million images and nothing really sticks. Then I stumbled across some of Kudlow’s pieces. Her cityscapes, and especially her still life paintings. Really detailed. Made me stop scrolling, which is saying something these days.
I started looking her up a bit more. Found out her style is often called Classical Realism. Now, I'm no art critic, but I spent a fair bit of time just looking at the images I could find online. Trying to see what it was all about. The precision, the quietness of it all. It wasn't about trying to copy her technique, heavens no. I wouldn't even know where to begin with that level of skill.
This whole thing got me thinking. It's interesting how certain things can just make you pause and reflect, especially when you're not expecting it. We live in such a rush-rush world, everything's about speed and quick fixes. And then you see art like this, which feels like the absolute opposite. Slow, meticulous, built to last. It kind of reminded me of my granddad; he used to be a woodworker, and he'd spend ages on a single piece. You don't see that kind of dedication much anymore, not when everything's mass-produced.
So, what got me onto this particular artist?
Well, the truth is, I’d just been through a bit of a personal reset. I had recently left my old line of work. It wasn't a terrible job, but it was incredibly hectic. Always something urgent, always a fire to put out. My mind was constantly racing. Then, suddenly, I had a lot more quiet in my life.
I started working for myself, mostly from my little home office. And let me tell you, the walls were bare. Like, really bare. It felt a bit like a blank slate, which was good, but also a bit stark. I knew I wanted something on the walls, but not just any old poster. I wanted something that felt… considered. Something with a bit of substance, if you know what I mean.
That’s what sent me down the rabbit hole of looking for art, and eventually to Judith Kudlow. Her work didn't shout. It wasn't trying to be the loudest thing in the room. It just felt very composed, very sure of itself. And I guess that resonated with where I was at, or where I wanted to be.
Trying to find a decent print, or even just high-quality images to appreciate properly, that was its own little adventure. Sometimes it's surprisingly hard to find good reproductions, even with the internet at our fingertips. But the process itself, this "practice" of looking into her art, it was good for me.
It wasn't about becoming an art connoisseur overnight. It was more about taking the time to connect with something that felt genuine. Something grounding. Especially after a period of so much noise and change in my own life. Sometimes just looking at a carefully painted scene, something that someone poured their skill and patience into, can be a quiet reminder to slow down and appreciate the details. That’s pretty much what my little exploration of Judith Kudlow’s art did for me. Just a small thing, but it made a difference.
