‘Wait for me!’ by Judith Edwards-White from Wild Animals: Birds. Comment: ‘Swans are not the most elegant of birds on land and children may struggle to keep up, but when this mother and her babies reach water it will be a very different story.’ Reference image is credited to M. Nottage at FlickR. (Scratchboard Art) © Artwork courtesy of Judith Edwards-White.
Artist Watch
The Artist
Judith Edwards-White
(continued)
‘Since my scratchboard art was published for the first time I have seen the medium gaining in popularity, although when my work is featured in art shows I still notice people
with their face up close to the glass trying to work out how it was done.’
‘I think that over the past few years I developed more
interest in my art after I was approached by the editor of the Australian Fine Art & Decorative Painting magazine to submit two painting projects of a rose and orchid for their magazine.
‘Both of these projects were featured on the covers of two consecutive magazines and a third painting of a fuchsia appeared on the cover the following year.
My work has since been featured in quite a few other Australian art magazines and these days I take all my own photographs to submit to the Editor.
‘I have given a few scratchboard workshops, which people have asked me to do after seeing my work in an art show or on my website. When I do workshops I supply a pattern and a small board. Not everyone can
get to a workshop, of course, and some people have tried working from my pattern packets instead.’
What are pattern packets? How did they come about, what do they contain
and what can people expect to learn from them?
‘Once I had done painting projects for the magazine I decided to do a few of my own projects as patterns. This led me
to do patterns for scratchboard art for people who wanted to try the medium. The pattern packets include the line drawing, the materials required and step-by-step photographs of the project. Most of the scratch art patterns I created have now been published.
‘Not all of my scratchboards are available for purchase but there are a few. They range in price depending on the size of the board and the amount of work involved. So many people
requested prints of the scratchboards that I decided to do a range of note cards to produce something that people could afford. These proved to be very popular and have been sent to the USA, Japan and New Zealand.
‘After I did “Freckle the Koala” and posted him on my website, I was approached by Ashdene who wanted to put him on a range of tableware products. They produced a
“Freckle” set which included a mug, tray, teabag holder and coasters, and launched the tableware under the Ashdene brand at the Ashdene Gift Fair on 3 August 2013.
‘Freckle, incidentally, was a rescued koala who I saw at the Daisy Hill Koala Centre in Brisbane but who has, sadly, since passed away. But Freckle lives on in tableware and is constantly admired. Who would have thought?
‘This year I had desk calendars printed for 2015. Twelve of my most popular scratchboard artworks are featured in landscape with the month printed underneath the photograph. The
cards sit in a special case which doesn’t take up a lot of room on a desk. When the month is over, the card is slipped to the back of the pack and the next month’s card shows up.’
Do you think that scratchboard art is becoming better known and more popular in Australia, or are most people still surprised that there is such a thing?
‘Since
my scratchboard art was published for the first time I have seen the medium gaining in popularity, although when my work is featured in art shows I still notice people with their face up close to the glass trying to work out how it was done. Some people who
should know what it is don’t seem to. When I entered my most recent show, the organiser had never heard of scratchboard, which is often the case.
‘After I sent
my entry form to the Brisbane RNA (Royal National Show) a few years back, I received a phone call asking me what my work was exactly and, after describing it, my artwork was refused. A friend of mine, who was a steward at the show, made sure that the organisers
actually saw the relevant pieces and I was then told that I could enter all of them. Since then they have accepted my scratchboard art without question.’
Who are the
artists you most admire?
‘I guess my favourite artists these days are those who do scratchboard art. In Australia they would be Patrick Hedges MSA, Lesley Barrett MSA
and Karen Hull SSA. In the USA and Canada I have quite a few favourites who are amazing scratchboard artists, such as Lorna Hannett MSA, Diana Lee MSA, Cathy Sheeter MSA, Harold Farley, Jonathan Webb, Sandra Willard MSA and many more.’
Among the numerous awards Judy has received, a few stand out as being memorable.
‘I am particularly
proud of receiving Champion of the Show at the Laidley Regional Art Awards in 2010 for “Animal Magnetism”, a scratchboard close up of a big cat (snow leopard); the People’s Choice Award at the Queensland Wildlife Art Society (QWASI) International
Wildlife in Art 2012, and winning the Animal Category at the Kenilworth LGI Trophy Art competition in 2013 for “Yukichi”.
‘Personally, I don’t think
that a person’s age makes any difference as to when they start their art journey. I didn’t discover scratchboard art until well after I had retired from the workforce. I’m addicted to it and it’s been my passion ever since.’
Website Watch
Judith Edwards-White
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
To ask about purchasing any of Judy's art,
merchandise, or to arrange workshops and exhibitions, please contact her by email at judithew@optusnet.com.au.
Judy's websites are:
Judy's work is also featured on:
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP
International Society of Scratchboard Artists (ISSA) – Master Scratchboard
Artist (MSA). Go to their website at http://www.scratchboardsociety.com for more information.
PRODUCTS AVAILABLE
Desk Calendar 2015
I recently had a desk calendar for 2015 produced for a desk or counter that doesn’t take up much room. Cards for each individual month feature my original scratchboard art and sit in a special CD case, which folds back to make a stand as shown
in the picture below. Once a month is over, the card can be slipped to the back and the next month's card is then on show. The calendars are $21.50 each plus postage, which I think is pretty good value.
Note Cards featuring Scratchboard art
These cards are printed from my original scratchboard art. The prices for cards (not including postage) are:
Single card $5.00, $9.50 for 2 cards, $14.00 for 3 cards, $17.50 for 4 cards, $20.00 for 5 cards. The title of the artwork is printed on the back of the card.
Tableware
On 3 August 2013, tableware products featuring ‘Freckle the Koala’ were launched under the Ashdene brand at the Ashdene Gift Fair. The Ashdene company has produced
a mug, tray, teabag holder and coasters, which are available from both Ashdene and Houzethat. To see Freckle, go to WHERE
IS BRISBANE?
Websites for ‘Freckle’ tableware
Pattern Packets – Original
Designs
All packets include line drawing, photos and instructions which can be sent as an e-packet. Packets can be seen on my website above. For more information please
contact me at judithew@optusnet.com.au.
COPYRIGHT
MATTERS ©
We know you love the artwork but please don’t
reproduce, or use any of these images without the written consent of the artist. Any photographic reference images for the artworks have been used with permission from the original photographer and their images are also protected by Copyright.
More Judy...P.2
JUDITH EDWARDS-WHITE
WATCHWORDS HOME