12th-21st SEPTEMBER 2025
< All Artists

2024

Judith Croft

Painting/Drawing

Artist Statement

I have recently become a full-time painter after a long career in the theatre as a set and costume designer. I paint landscapes, flowers and still life, usually working in situ with my subject before me. I love to find the beauty in simple things such as the creases in a piece of cloth or the twist of a leaf showing a different green underneath. I work in detail, but also try to allow the flow of the paint and the shape of the brush to bring immediacy and life to my paintings.

'Garden in Barbados’ - I painted this watercolour from photos and sketches which I made in tropical garden in Barbados. I love the sculptural shapes made by the almost blue leaves in the foreground, with their lime green underside, and the gorgeous colours of the other foliage and flowers.
‘Hydrangeas’ - This watercolour was painted from hydrangeas which grow in my garden. I placed them on a marble worktop, backlit by the sun shining through the window. The green jug was handmade by a potter we visited in France and it reflects the light in such an interesting way.
‘Hydrangeas’ - This watercolour was painted from hydrangeas which grow in my garden. I placed them on a marble worktop, backlit by the sun shining through the window. The green jug was handmade by a potter we visited in France and it reflects the light in such an interesting way.
‘Dahlias in a blue vase’ - This oil painting is part of a series of four studies using flowers, foliage, different coloured glass and exotic silks. The dahlias were spectacular and I contrasted them against the deep blue of the vase and the turquoise of the gold embroidered silk sari.
‘Dahlias in a blue vase’ - This oil painting is part of a series of four studies using flowers, foliage, different coloured glass and exotic silks. The dahlias were spectacular and I contrasted them against the deep blue of the vase and the turquoise of the gold embroidered silk sari.
‘Ferns and Orchids’ - Detail from a larger watercolour showing how I use paint and white paper to create depth and shadow. The orchids were painted using wet-on-wet, allowing the paint to flow and pool within the space of each bloom. Ferns create a sculptural background amidst the exuberant tropical garden.
‘Ferns and Orchids’ - Detail from a larger watercolour showing how I use paint and white paper to create depth and shadow. The orchids were painted using wet-on-wet, allowing the paint to flow and pool within the space of each bloom. Ferns create a sculptural background amidst the exuberant tropical garden.