Artist Statement

I wear many hats as an artist but the hats all seem to come back to photography. As a sculptor, I take photos of my work. As an artist I take photos as studies for future sculptures. Photography has been a constant for me since I was a kid. I have the photography gene. My dad was a photographer and he showed me the joys of film and working in the darkroom. In college my dad helped me purchase my first 35mm film camera. I follow in his footsteps with camera in hand. I am drawn to animals as my photographic subjects, for that reason I love to go to the zoo. My favorites have been the orangutans and over the past few years I've visited my orang friends quite a bit. Seeing how they nurture their young and watching the babies grow has been a joy, but knowing that they are on the Endangered list makes me sad. Hope springs eternal that we, as humans, can turn things around for these incredible creatures.

My formal photographic education began in college, many years before the advent of digital photography.  I learned the basics of darkroom skills and enjoyed working in a medium that I could share with my dad.  Black and white photography was my preference.  One thing that my college photography classes helped me to develop were the skills at framing a good photo and dealing with dark and light.  

I have always been primarily a 3D artist, working in clay.  I realized while in college that to be any kind of artist, it is important to have a certain amount of knowlege about photography, because we all have to photograph our work.  Having grown up in the age of film photography and coming into digital photography at its infancy, was a bonus.  I got to see the advanantages of both, but my personal choice is 100% digital.  

With the help of National Geographic Magazine as well as Zoo Tampa, I have become more and more aware of the creatures that we humans share this world with.  I appreciate the efforts that Zoo Tampa takes to help with conservation.  Their efforts to educate visitors with information on every single animal in their care, including status on where the animal fits on the Endangered Scale.  Zoo Tampa's efforts to educate children about conservation is also apparent and hopefully will be a bonus for the future.  My personal hope is that my photographs will help show that we aren't all that different from the endangered species and if we can make a difference, we should.

In addition to Zoo Tampa, our backyard has also become a great place to catch photos of birds.  Owls, hawks, sandhill cranes, ibises, cattle egrets, herons, migrating robins, pelicans and a random rosaete spoonbill have become the subjects of many, many photographs.  I love to document the new sandhill babies as they grow up and take flight, learning the ropes from their parents.  

Personal Message

I hope that my photos will strike a chord with people.  Look into their eyes and see that we do have a connection.  That my small contributions will make a difference.  Isn't that what we all want?

New Work

More focus on sculptures of endangered species - this means more trips to Zoo Tampa for research.  My first endangered species sculpture series were of giraffes, both Reticulated as well as Masai.  I'm still ruminating whether to jump to the Orangutans.

News of Interest

More like news of the past: 1) In 2007 I was selected to be a guest artist on a TV show called That's Clever!  I had a 7-minute spot where I demonstrated the making of a ceramic cat bank. 2) 3 of my fish teapots were purchased by the Kamm Teapot Foundation (world's largest teapot collection) and 3) a few of my whimsical sculptures are part of the Marietta Museum of Art and Whimsy.

Why did I enter this Contest?

I entered the Endangered Contest starting a few years ago, when I saw a call to artists pop up in my emails.  I had been visiting Zoo Tampa a few years prior and really felt like this Contest was calling out to me.  This was prior to the Covid pandemic and the exhibition was held in Miami.  I had one photograph selected and it sold during the exhibition.  I knew from the start that this was a worthwhile cause and the fact that I was able to share my orangutan photos was icing on the cake.  I felt my dad the photographer smiling down on me.  

As artists, we have the power to help get the word out.  As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words.  It's actually a good feeling to know that your art may help to make a difference.  As a community of artists we CAN make a difference!

See more of Judy’s work by clicking on the links below:

Website: https://judybfreeman.com

Facebook: @judy.freeman.142

Instagram: @freemanpolymer