Passionate and Vibrant!! Article by Gregory Gusse

Alaska's Venus Rising from the Sea

Oil/Cold Wax

36 X 42

$2,460

Passionate might be the best word to describe both the artists and their art at this Second Saturday opening reception at Madd Matters in Palmer. Both names, Judy Vars and Brandy Lee Mallick are pretty well known here in the Valley.
Judy has an interna...

tional reputation as well. She is best known for her encaustic wax paintings ,an ancient technique employing beeswax, resins, and pure pigments that Judy sometimes grinds herself. This form of painting is so ancient that vibrant works are still visible thousands of years later in Egyptian ruins. Though the method is ancient her work is outstandingly contemporary.
Judy also produces wonderful oils. In either case she is cognizant too of the limitations and the particular expression within the mediums. Judy’s work is both emotional and meaningful, far from the ordinary or mundane. Even her flowers and landscapes rise to the level of art, an incredible accomplishment when surrounded by the typical gold pan artist so common in our woods. It is a sign of a real artist that they can and will buck peer pressure and the market ,too.
Another thing that separates Judy’s work , and may be another reason she is collected, is it smells and feels good. Yes, her work is meant to be touched. Its textures and variations are thrilling to the fingers while the aroma, the smell of honey and blossoms, brings the work to an extreme level of sensuality. Her work is like the artist herself, mysterious and vibrant