We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Judi Tavill . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Judi below.

Judi, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

My creative path has been long, twisted, tangled and rewarding. The journey to my current art practice began as a dream to be a fashion designer around age 11 in a Baltimore, Maryland suburb. I really did not know how to go about it, There was no internet and certainly no Instagram. I didn’t live in THE fashion capital, New York City. So, I learned to be resourceful. THIS may be my superpower, THAT and persistence. If you want to do something and you don’t know how to do it, research it, work at it and keep working at it.

After pursuing a career in fashion design which culminated as the head designer for Lilly Pulitzer, Inc., creating my own apparel line and then embarking on motherhood, I had one of my SEVERAL pivotal “moments” that lead me to pursue the making of ceramics and pottery for about 18 years. Upon turning 50, I had another pivotal “moment” that lead me to pursue a sculpture and drawing practice in the contemporary art world and that is where I am today.

Every point along the way, resourcefulness and persistence have been integral to any and all success. Asking for information, receiving instruction and employing an enthusiastic attitude to learn and grow has helped me to power through and reach my goals. Whether the information is in books and periodicals, on the internet, or learning from teachers or mentors, it is all available. It is up to YOU to pursue that knowledge and then work to implement your plan.

Judi, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

In 2019, I began considering a shift in my established ceramic and pottery practice that had begun as making functional ceramic items and had evolved to a decorative form of vessel based forms and tabletop sculptural ceramics. I had developed techniques of carving and texturing that lead to attention on the internet and I went on to travel to teach workshops at various institutions.

Upon turning 50, I was not unhappy with my work, but I asked myself what it was that I would want to do if I could do anything (because this was my life, my only life and this is not a dress rehearsal).I concluded that I wanted to speak abstractly through my art and I wanted more freedom to explore, evolve and develop work to be considered in the contemporary art world and ultimately move my voice out into the greater public.

So, by 2020, I started working with paperclay, first on my own but ultimately I took workshops for deeper understanding and instruction.I found working with the artist and educator Rebecca Hutchinson to be extremely helpful to me as an artist. I pursued this through a virtual University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth course in Large Scale Ceramic sculpture and ultimately decided to apply and become a Post Baccalaureate student working virtually with Rebecca right as the pandemic shut the university down.

Due to the nature of working virtually, I developed my Sculpture in my New Jersey home-based studio and added an independent study in drawing with Anthony Fisher at UMASS- Dartmouth simultaneously. This lead to a “EUREKA” moment as I began to draw ON my sculpture. The work became about a toggling between line as form and form as line. This is the conversation happening in my current sculptural work.

I believe that my biomorphic abstract sculpture and drawing expresses how I navigate relationships between myself and the greater world. It reflects upon the intricate organizational systems that surround us in nature, that we see in the human body and that have developed in our society. I observe that connection often leads to entanglement and organized systems often bend and break and chaos ensues. My work reflects upon this and focuses on the belief that opportunities for conflict to resolve and pathways to harmony will be found.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I make art because I am moved to do so.The process of making work nourishes my spirit. While I find this deep meaning in the making of the work, the connection with other artists, collectors and viewers brings my experience full circle. As I work to move my work forward into the world, the overwhelming desire I look to fulfill is that of connection.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I believe that all human beings benefit from the experience of art. The making of art , as well as the viewing of art and ultimately the potential to stimulate discussion of that art is exciting and important . I believe the more opportunities given to children and adults of all economic levels, races, religions, genders to experience art and connect with it, the greater our connection to each other and our earth will be. I feel allowing for artistic expression and supporting the practice and consumption of the wide ranging artistic expression , that everyone in society is capable of , is of utmost importance in allowing for the evolution of the human mind and experience. Supporting the opportunities, institutions and individuals that are making and showing and educating about art today is a wonderful way to ensure that we continue to move toward understanding and acceptance.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.juditavill.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juditavillart/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/juditavillart/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juditavill/

Image Credits
Emily Billington Photography