- April 23, 2024
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Judi Wormeck demonstrated her techniques at the Ocean Art Gallery in Flagler Beach on March 30. Photos by Colleen Michele Jones
Judi Wormeck, a former art teacher, is involved in various art leagues in the area.
Judi Wormeck uses a multitude of materials, such as tissue paper, water color paper and gift wrap, in her pieces.
Judi Wormeck, a retired art teacher and member of the Flagler County Art League, is the Gargiulo Art Foundation’s 2016 Flagler County Artist of the Year.
Wormeck has an ongoing solo exhibition at Ocean Art Gallery in Flagler Beach, where on March 30 she led a demonstration of the techniques behind her mixed-media works.
Set up at a table filled with various materials, paints and glues beside her, Wormeck explained that while sometimes she has a very specific concept in mind, "other times, the paper takes me where I want to go."
Much of that time, that journey leads her to a textured collage of layered and glued pieces of everything from printed gift wrap to marbled Thai moni paper; realistic forms to abstract patterns; metallic to warmer palettes. Nature -- flowers, animals, moons and suns -- also figures prominently in her works, which usually start on paper and are then transferred to canvas.
Wormeck demonstrated how she preps watercolor paper as a base and then often adds the most basic materials, such as brown paper bags from Publix or mailing paper from FedEx. She usually crumples them and then cuts them into pieces, gluing and then painting the materials with metallic golds, silver or bronze paints. From there, it's layers of other textured papers, which can include patterns or even wording on them.
Wormeck both sponges paint and also hand paints forms, like one piece of an elegant woman shown in profile with a voluminous dress, the design of which Wormeck created out of snippets of patterned tissue paper contrasting against the black gown.
"I tend to use a lot of black; I think it makes other colors really pop," Wormeck said.
Many of her works center around a cruciform composition.
"Composition is very important to me," Wormeck said.
Wormeck, who shares her Hammock home with husband, Karl, exhibits her works at FCAL’s monthly shows and also helps curates some of the league’s shows. Wormeck also is a founding member, contributing artist and instructor for the Flagler Altered Arts group.
The artist also loves experimenting with other art forms.
"Clock making is one of my passions," said Wormeck, "especially Alice in Wonderland-type clocks."
But, just like her artwork, Wormeck finds herself more interested in the journey than the destination.
"I'm kind of getting to the point where I need to reinvent myself," said Wormeck, adding, "but I haven't figured out yet what that means."
