Acrylic, watercolor and greeting cards
Judi Koehmstedt‘s artwork can bring a smile to your face of a cherished memory when you see her work.
Judi Koehmstedt has been drawing and painting all of her life. Her father was an artist, disguised as a farmer, and he drew pictures to entertain her and her 5 younger brothers in Langdon, North Dakota. She has always been acutely aware of the beauty and humor in human behavior. You can see from her paintings how she weaves those traits into her work.
Judi has exhibited in many regional juried shows, including shows in Hawley and Fergus Falls, Minnesota; Pekin, Jamestown and Wahpeton, North Dakota. As a member of the Red River Watercolor Society and the Fargo Moorhead Visual Artists organizations, she participates in their shows and activities. She often attends most workshops offered by the RRWS over the years and takes classes from local artists. This gives her the opportunity to help promote awareness and appreciation of the arts in our community. Judi joined Gallery 4 in July 2020.
Awards, Shows and Workshops
Since 1990: Exhibited at the Hawley art Show every year since 1990. I won several (6) Merit awards, got 2nd place in 1999, and got Best of Show in 1998
2009: Juror's Choice in the Jamestown Show and Walter Piehl was the juror
1998: Entered the Pekin show every year since 1998. I was awarded several prizes over the years, mostly in the Watercolor Division
Several Year: Entered several shows at the Red Door Gallery in Wahpeton, ND
Several times: Exhibited at Edgewood Visa
Several times: Exhibited at Trinity Lutheran Church
Several times: Exhibited at Bell Bank
Several times: Exhibited at the VIP room
Several times: Exhibited at One Oak Assistant Living
Many years: Exhibited at the infamous (RRWS) Red River Watercolor Society’s 8th Street Show
Many years: Exhibited at (FMVA) Fargo Moorhead Visual Artists’ Shows
Several times: Fine Arts Bling Show
Follow more of her creativity in her blog at: http://judikoehmstedt.blogspot.com.
Judi Koehmstedt has been drawing and painting all of her life. Her father was an artist, disguised as a farmer, and he drew pictures to entertain her and her 5 younger brothers in Langdon, North Dakota. She has always been acutely aware of the beauty and humor in human behavior. You can see from her paintings how she weaves those traits into her work.
Judi has exhibited in many regional juried shows, including shows in Hawley and Fergus Falls, Minnesota; Pekin, Jamestown and Wahpeton, North Dakota. As a member of the Red River Watercolor Society and the Fargo Moorhead Visual Artists organizations, she participates in their shows and activities. She often attends most workshops offered by the RRWS over the years and takes classes from local artists. This gives her the opportunity to help promote awareness and appreciation of the arts in our community. Judi joined Gallery 4 in July 2020.
Awards, Shows and Workshops
Since 1990: Exhibited at the Hawley art Show every year since 1990. I won several (6) Merit awards, got 2nd place in 1999, and got Best of Show in 1998
2009: Juror's Choice in the Jamestown Show and Walter Piehl was the juror
1998: Entered the Pekin show every year since 1998. I was awarded several prizes over the years, mostly in the Watercolor Division
Several Year: Entered several shows at the Red Door Gallery in Wahpeton, ND
Several times: Exhibited at Edgewood Visa
Several times: Exhibited at Trinity Lutheran Church
Several times: Exhibited at Bell Bank
Several times: Exhibited at the VIP room
Several times: Exhibited at One Oak Assistant Living
Many years: Exhibited at the infamous (RRWS) Red River Watercolor Society’s 8th Street Show
Many years: Exhibited at (FMVA) Fargo Moorhead Visual Artists’ Shows
Several times: Fine Arts Bling Show
Follow more of her creativity in her blog at: http://judikoehmstedt.blogspot.com.
Realism and Nostalgia | Artist Feature
Fargo Monthly Magazine, June 2022, Brandi Malarkey
READ MORE of the article
“I call it ‘Spool Samples’,” Judi Koehmstedt laughingly displays a small painting of the spools of thread she recently found in her mother’s old sewing machine. The play on words and cheerful colors are characteristic of an art career that has spanned nearly 50 years.
As one of the current members of the artist cooperative, Gallery 4, located in downtown Fargo, Judi has come a long way from her first art lesson.
“When I lived in Langdon [ND], a local minister was an artist, and for three or four years he came every week to teach art in the courthouse. When he started, there were about 35 students all excited to take classes. Within three months there were only two of us! The charge for classes was minimal, but I had no money, so sometimes I would give him antique frames I found in old barns as payment.”
Despite having four children in a six-year time span and working the night shift in nursing homes as a geriatric nurse for 30 years, Judi has always found a way to pursue her art; taking classes and workshops whenever she could fit them into her active schedule.
“I remember when I first found out about acrylic painting. I didn’t know what I was doing, and it would dry so fast. I would go to my room in the evening and cry.”
Judi has proven that learning and persistence have their rewards, as she is now a multi-award winning artist widely known for both her acrylic and watercolor work represented in regional and local shows all over the upper Midwest. Her multitudes of learning experiences over the years have resulted in a unique viewpoint all her own.
“Being original is the hardest thing, I think. Trying to come up with something that is just yours. I like realism and nostalgia. Things from my farm when I was a kid, which is why I love barns and old cars. I see an old pickup truck and I just want to paint it. Or people. I love to paint people, especially when I watch them doing things that are just a little bit offbeat. I love art. It is always fun.”
It is difficult to glimpse any struggle for originality in Judi’s work. The familiar subjects are rendered with eye-catching bright colors and engaging compositions which hold the viewer’s attention. Her sense of humor is apparent in the quirky titles she bestows upon her creations, and her enjoyment of the process is equally visible in her playful brushstrokes.
In fact, after only a brief conversation it is easy to see that Judi’s vibrant paintings are very much a reflection of the woman herself. Colorful, cheerful, and guaranteed to make you smile.
#painter #galleryartist #NorthDakotaArtist
Fargo Monthly Magazine, June 2022, Brandi Malarkey
READ MORE of the article
“I call it ‘Spool Samples’,” Judi Koehmstedt laughingly displays a small painting of the spools of thread she recently found in her mother’s old sewing machine. The play on words and cheerful colors are characteristic of an art career that has spanned nearly 50 years.
As one of the current members of the artist cooperative, Gallery 4, located in downtown Fargo, Judi has come a long way from her first art lesson.
“When I lived in Langdon [ND], a local minister was an artist, and for three or four years he came every week to teach art in the courthouse. When he started, there were about 35 students all excited to take classes. Within three months there were only two of us! The charge for classes was minimal, but I had no money, so sometimes I would give him antique frames I found in old barns as payment.”
Despite having four children in a six-year time span and working the night shift in nursing homes as a geriatric nurse for 30 years, Judi has always found a way to pursue her art; taking classes and workshops whenever she could fit them into her active schedule.
“I remember when I first found out about acrylic painting. I didn’t know what I was doing, and it would dry so fast. I would go to my room in the evening and cry.”
Judi has proven that learning and persistence have their rewards, as she is now a multi-award winning artist widely known for both her acrylic and watercolor work represented in regional and local shows all over the upper Midwest. Her multitudes of learning experiences over the years have resulted in a unique viewpoint all her own.
“Being original is the hardest thing, I think. Trying to come up with something that is just yours. I like realism and nostalgia. Things from my farm when I was a kid, which is why I love barns and old cars. I see an old pickup truck and I just want to paint it. Or people. I love to paint people, especially when I watch them doing things that are just a little bit offbeat. I love art. It is always fun.”
It is difficult to glimpse any struggle for originality in Judi’s work. The familiar subjects are rendered with eye-catching bright colors and engaging compositions which hold the viewer’s attention. Her sense of humor is apparent in the quirky titles she bestows upon her creations, and her enjoyment of the process is equally visible in her playful brushstrokes.
In fact, after only a brief conversation it is easy to see that Judi’s vibrant paintings are very much a reflection of the woman herself. Colorful, cheerful, and guaranteed to make you smile.
#painter #galleryartist #NorthDakotaArtist
Show on Kindness
Hear what inspired Judi Koehmstedt to create her piece, "Thank you." |
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