By Michele Malinchak
Starbucks Newtown
Chances are you’ve walked past some of the buildings featured in the paintings of Judy LaTorre. Though you probably didn’t notice the subtle color variations in each brick or stone or how sunlight played against the facade. Through careful observation, Judy hones in on these details, bringing local architecture to life in her vibrant watercolors.
“My objective is to capture the architecture and landscapes of Bucks County in a glowing warm light,” she said.
Sunlight and perspective are major elements in her work which can be considered a balance of realism and impressionism. While her paintings are precise and filled with fine details, she is able to capture the mood of her subjects through her treatment of light. Whether she’s painting sun dappled sidewalks, covered bridges, weathered barns or flowers, her paintings radiate a warmth you can almost feel.
Many artists consider painting with watercolors challenging and unforgiving. The paint is hard to control because of its fluid nature and mistakes are often difficult to correct. However, Judy has painted with them exclusively for almost 30 years. Drawn by their softness and transparent quality, she has mastered the technique of allowing light to shine through the paint.
“I can’t paint without warm light,” she said.
Her favorite subjects are architecture and landscapes, though she also paints floral watercolors. In addition, Judy creates kaleidoscope paintings which are digital images inspired by her original floral works. She uses Photoshop to transform the florals into dazzling designs that remind one of stained glass. She loves painting the seasons, especially spring, but also enjoys doing barn scenes with snow.
“I’m not a nine to five artist,” she said, preferring to paint in the morning.
Iris is her favorite flower to paint and in some of her floral work she uses Masa rice paper to create texture. The paper is crumpled into a ball, immersed in water and then straightened out. When paint is applied, it picks up lines and crinkles in the paper producing an Asian feel.
Judy creates subtle color variations by layering her paints—putting down staining watercolor first, then non-staining ones over them. To correct any mistakes, she uses sea sponges and nib erasers to lift the paint. If she feels a painting is being overworked, she’ll let it sit for a few days and then ask her family for their opinion.
Each brick, stone or board on a building is carefully rendered, and it takes her weeks to complete a painting. What might be considered tedious by others, Judy sees as meditative. A stickler for accuracy, she uses a T-square to achieve straight, even lines and measures the space between each board when painting siding. She usually works on two paintings at a time, an exacting architectural piece and a freer, organic floral to help loosen things up. “It gives me a balance,” she said.
You might envision her listening to calming classical music as she patiently paints each minute detail. “I like classical music,” she said, “but I always put on the Rolling Stones when I paint.”
Working entirely from photographs, she keeps a camera in her car at all times as she scouts the area for new subjects. She crops her photos with Photoshop to get the composition she wants and sketches it before any paint is applied.
“I observe the certain way light strikes a building,” she said, often returning more than once to a spot until lighting conditions are perfect and the view is clear of parked cars.
In the watercolor pictured here, Judy depicted the Starbucks in Newtown, PA. Colorful reflections in the window add interest to the composition and the long shadows cast on the sidewalk lead our eyes directly to the shop. Her use of perspective permits the eye to wander far back into the painting and the viewer experiences a sense of being there.
Primarily self-taught, Judy learned how to paint through art books and magazines. Her favorite artists include Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh and Pennsylvania Impressionist Daniel Garber.
She grew up in in western Pennsylvania in the town of Windber near Johnstown. Although she enjoyed drawing and painting as a child, she never considered making art her career. Instead, she decided on medical technology and attended St. Francis College in Loretto, PA. She took a few art classes there and received her Bachelor of Science degree in 1979. It’s also where she met her husband, Tony, a precious metals controller.
After they married, the couple moved to Somerset, NJ. Judy worked as a medical technologist at Princeton Hospital and as a research scientist for Carter Wallace in Cranbury, NJ. In 1988 when her son, Matthew was born, she began painting again and hasn’t stopped since.
Judy’s work is displayed in public and private collections throughout Bucks County and Philadelphia including the Tyler Estate on the campus of Bucks County Community College. Her work has been included in juried exhibits at Phillips’ Mill, The Philadelphia Sketch Club and the Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie.
She has also given private art lessons and taught at Bucks County Community College in Newtown. In addition, she instructed homeschooled students as well as seniors in retirement homes.
One of her favorite memories was contributing to the Miles of Mules public art project back in 2003. Artists were asked to decorate mules to commemorate mule-drawn boats that once transported coal along the Delaware Canal. The fiberglass mules were located throughout the region and Judy was commissioned by Stuckert and Yates Attorneys in Newtown to paint a mule. The new owner of the law firm was Don Marshall and so the mule was named ‘Marshall Law.’ Judy had a key to their office where she painted the mule on weekends. To decorate it, she painted acrylic reproductions of her watercolors of Newtown that cover the mule like a saddle blanket. Eventually, all of the 175 mules were auctioned off and proceeds benefited local charities. Judy’s mule still sits in the law office today and she is featured in a book commemorating the event.
She also participated in the Pearl S. Buck Foundation’s Tastes of the World event and auction. From 2005 to 2010 she donated her paintings to the Foundation and was given the rare privilege of photographing the interior rooms of the estate. The photos were used as reference for paintings she created which did well at the auction.
Though Newtown has been her home for more than 25 years, the family made a couple of moves to the Pittsburgh area. While living there, Judy worked in a frame shop, painted in art shows and was also a member of the Pittsburgh Art League.
In 2019 the family moved back to Newtown where she has close ties to the community. “Newtown reminds me of the old town I grew up in,” she said. “We’ve returned to stay, and I’ll continue my tradition of capturing our place in time.”
When she’s not painting, Judy enjoys riding her 19-year-old thoroughbred mare, Cash Happy. She’s done some jumping and both she and her daughter, Chloe, ride English style.
Judy is currently represented by four galleries: Canal Frame-Crafts Gallery in Washington Crossing, The Frame Game in Newtown and Whispering Woods Gallery in Southampton. Her work is also shown at Countryside Gallery and Custom Frame Design in Newtown where she once did framing.
Her paintings, giclée prints and greeting cards can also be purchased directly from her website, www.judylatorreart.com. In addition, Judy does commissioned portraits of homes.
Recently she has also been selling her work at Newtown’s Market Day in October.
Through her art Judy seeks to preserve the rich history of Bucks County for future generations. “My goal is to allow the viewer to take a moment and to appreciate the scenes that surround them every day,” she said.
Michele Malinchak is a freelance writer who has a degree in art and enjoys oil painting.