New work by Judy Walsh 2020/2025
Wine dark sea/ Achilles Etching and digital print Judy Walsh 2025
The Trojan War serves as a powerful metaphor for the brutality of war, highlighting both the glory and the devastating consequences that arise from human conflict. At its core, the war begins with a seemingly minor dispute—the abduction of Helen—escalating into a decade-long siege that ultimately leads to widespread death and destruction on both sides. This escalation illustrates how personal grievances and pride can spiral into extensive violence, often disconnecting from the original cause.
The prolonged nature of the war exposes the relentless suffering endured by soldiers and civilians alike. Heroes like Achilles and Hector embody not just valor but also the tragedy of lives consumed by relentless combat. Their stories reveal the emotional toll of war, including loss, grief, and the erosion of humanity amidst chaos.
Additionally, the infamous Trojan Horse exemplifies deception and the hidden dangers of warfare, where cunning strategies can lead to ruin as effectively as open battle. This tactic underscores the moral ambiguities often present in war, where survival may demand betrayal and trickery.
Ultimately, the Trojan War metaphorically captures the cyclical nature of violence, the illusion of glory, and the profound cost borne by individuals and societies. It serves as a timeless reminder that beneath tales of heroism and conquest lies the enduring truth of war’s inherent brutality.
California Blue. (Oil on board 83cm x 99cm) Judy Walsh 2025
California Blue is the title of a song by Roy Orbison. It is a piece which while reminding me of the song also creates memories of visiting California where my father lived. The cracked surface seems to represent something more contemporary.
Wood, stone and holes. Judy Walsh Digital Print 2025 Printed on Arches BFK Rives 310g
The Causse du Quercy is a limestone plateau and features a landscape containing variety of natural objects. The light can be harsh but subtler elements are visible according to the time of year or day.
Open Window Judy Walsh 2025. Oil on board 108cm x 84cm Each element present in this painting suggests various familiar objects, a window, a shutter, a window frame, and a balcony railing. Unlike the piece titled "Open Window, Collioure, (1905) which was created by Henri Matisse, in this work, we seem to be looking into the window from the perspective of the outside observer. There is absolutely nothing to see here, inviting the viewer to ponder the significance of this absence. The artwork encourages us to consider what this absence might imply about the sense of outsiderness experienced by the viewer.
Atomic no. 20 (Oil on panel 86 x 86) Judy Walsh 2023
The title of the painting featured here is derived from the atomic no. on the Periodic Table published by the Royal Society of Chemistry (Website below) I like to consider that a landscape can be portrayed in different ways and was interested in portraying the structure and history of the area.
https://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/20/calcium
The area in which I live is called the Causse de Quercy and is a Unesco global geopark.
UNESCO Global Geoparks are single, unified geographical areas where sites and landscapes of international geological significance are managed with a holistic concept of protection, education and sustainable development. The website below tells you why the Causse de Quercy is an internationally important area.
Journey through a landscape (Oil on panel 87cm x 110cm) Judy Walsh 2023
A journey through a landscape can reflect the personal experiences and emotions of the traveler. Each curve of the path and each rise of the hill can mirror the highs and lows of life, creating a backdrop that informs a narrative. As one walks towards the horizen, memories may emerge, tied to the sights and sounds surrounding them. The changing seasons can symbolize different life phases, from the freshness of spring representing new beginnings to the starkness of winter reflecting solitude or introspection. In this way, the landscape becomes a silent witness to our stories, intertwining biographical elements with the natural world.
Riverside (Oil on panel 82cm x 94cm) Judy Walsh 2023
Diptych unhinged 1/Cool World Judy Walsh 2021-22 (Oil on panel 1m x 1m)
Diptych unhinged 2/Hot World Judy Walsh 2021-22 (Oil on panel 1m x 1m)
Moth: Preliminary to painting
Moth. (Oil on panel 1m x 1m) Judy Walsh 2020
“For she was beautiful. Her beauty made the bright world dim, and everything beside Seemed like the fleeting image of a shade. No thought of living spirit could abide (Which to her looks had ever been betrayed) On any object in the world so wide, On any hope within the skies, But on her form and in her inmost eyes.” Verse 12: The Witch of Atlas (Published 1824) Percy Bysshe Shelley
“Tis said she first was changed into vapour; And then into a cloud-such clouds as flit (Like splendour-winged moths against a taper.) Verse 3: The Witch of Atlas (Published 1824) Percy Bysshe Shelley
Lost in the woods-spliced Lost in the Woods-Spliced is a visual narrative that explores themes of isolation and introspection in a fragmented environment. The artwork suggests woodland, creating the disorienting feeling of getting lost.
Digital image. The original artwork was hand painted and then scanned. Additional elements and compositional changes have been added. Printed on archival paper as a limited edition (20).
Lost in the woods-spliced. Judy Walsh 2020 (Printed on Hahnemühle 300g. Image size 35cm x 22.4cm Paper size 42cm x 29.7cm)