Judy Warner is well known in town for her paintings of local landmarks and subjects. Judy has lived in Harvard for almost thirty five years. She enjoys drawing and painting scenes from the places she visits each day. Finding spots that have a connection to the rural past, the barns, old houses, and public buildings in our local towns and capturing the remaining agricultural and traditional New England landscape in this area are particularly satisfying to her.Most of her paintings are done in oil or acrylic on either prepared paper or canvas. Judy says, "I try to work outside as much as possible, though I do use my own photographs so I can paint throughout the year. In warm months, I keep my painting equipment ready to go outside, and I’ve been spotted all over the local area. I try to paint the atmosphere and light as much as the subject of the painting."

Judy creates house portraits on commission, trying to show the aspects of the house and surroundings that the owners like most. Recently, she began painting pet portraits as well. During the indoor season, she paints still life, too. Judy went to the High School of Music and Art in NYC and took painting classes there but she says, "I stopped painting out of frustration during college. At that time I think teaching how to draw and paint realistically was out of fashion." She attended Cornell University, where she earned a liberal arts degree, with a major in English Literature. She also has a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education from Boston University. Judy taught at Shaker Lane School and Russell Street School in Littleton for 27 years, and was a Teacher Leader in the Reading Recovery Program, training teachers (including Harvard teachers) in this method of teaching reading.

"About ten years ago, I began trying to teach myself to draw and paint with the wonderful how-to books that are currently available. In addition, I’m currently taking classes at the New England Realist Art Center in Boston." Judy lives on South Shaker Road in the Shaker Sisters’ shop, where she has lots of great scenery to paint. She also likes to work in her garden, read, and tend her sheep and llama. For more information on Judy's paintings, prices, or to commission a house or pet portrait, contact her at awarner@charter.net.