About the Artist
Judy Miller
Pastel is a direct and sensuous medium. The pigment is rich, the surface receptive to many layers, and the physical connection immediate. Working without a brush allows me to feel closely connected to the color and the image as it develops. I am drawn as well to pastel’s permanence; it does not yellow or fade, allowing the work to endure.
I came to pastel in my late fifties, as a 46-year career as a ceramic artist was coming to a close. My ceramic work was narrative and often humorous, depicting scenes of everyday life with warmth and specificity. People recognized themselves in those moments, and that sense of connection has always been central to my work.
Living in Santa Cruz, California, my focus shifted toward the natural world around me. That shift deepened after my move to Ajijic, Mexico, in 2017. I am inspired by the changing light, clouds, and sunsets over Lake Chapala, as well as by the vibrant people, fiestas, and parades I encounter here and while traveling. I work primarily from my own photographs, responding to moments that invite further exploration through pastel.
Creating art comes from a deep and essential place within me. It is not separate from who I am. I feel privileged to have devoted my life to making art, a path that has required perseverance, curiosity, and trust in the process. What remains most rewarding is knowing that my work invites others to pause, look more closely, and see anew.
I am a native Californian, born in Los Angeles in 1950. I attended UCLA and UC Berkeley and received a BA degree in 1971.
Select Exhibitions and Honors
Master Circle Status, International Association of Pastel Societies
Signature Member, Pastel Society of the West Coast
2023 Solo Exhibition, “México Mágico, Ajijic Museo de Arte, Ajijic, México
2022 “Dio de Los Muertos” Exhibition, Cultural Centro Ajijic, FIRST PLACE
2022 Solo Exhibition, Ajijic Cultural Center
2020&2021 Ajijic Society of the Arts Annual Fall Themed Show
2020 Ajijic Society of the Arts, Annual Membership Show, THIRD PLACE, Pastel/Drawing category
2019 Solo Exhibition, Ajijic Cultural Center
2019 Ajijic Society of the Arts, Annual Membership Show, THIRD PLACE, Pastel/Drawing category
2019 Lake Chapala Painting Guild Annual show
2018 Ajijic Society of the Arts, Light and Dark show
2018 Ajijic Society of the Arts, Annual Membership Show, BEST OF SHOW AWARD, FIRST PLACE in the Pastel/Drawing category
2017 Santa Cruz Art League 87th Statewide Landscape Exhibit, THIRD PLACE AWARD
2017 Pastel Society of the West Coast, "Pastels USA", Annual International Exhibition
2016 Capitola Plein Air, HONORABLE MENTION AWARD
2016 Santa Cruz Art League 86th Statewide Landscape Exhibit, SECOND PLACE AWARD
2016 Pastel Society of the West Coast, "Pastels USA", Annual International Exhibition
2016 Pastel Society of the West Coast Online Membership Show
2016 Watsonville Community Hospital, "Pajaro Valley: The Land and People"
2016 Yosemite Museum of Art, "Yosemite Renaissance XXXI", Contemporary visions of Yosemite in all media
2015 Monterey County Gov't Center, "Celebrating Monterey County", FIRST PLACE AWARD
2015 Capitola Plein Air, Capitola, CA
2015 Santa Cruz Art League 85th Statewide Landscape Exhibit
2015 Monterey Museum of Art, "Big Blue Live, An Artists View", SECOND PLACE AWARD
2015 26th Juried Exhibition, International Association of Pastel Societies, HONORABLE MENTION AWARD
2015 Pastel Society of the West Coast Online Membership Show
2015 Pacific Grove Art Center, "In a Golden State", Santa Cruz Oil Painters Group Show
2015 Scotts Valley Library, “The Original Selfie”, Self Portrait Show
2014 Degas Pastel Society 15th Biennial National Exhibition
2014 Pastel Society of the West Coast, “Pastels USA”, Annual International Exhibition, PASTEL PORTER AWARD
2014 Santa Cruz Art League, 84th Statewide Landscape Exhibit, "
2014 Santa Cruz County Bank, “The Rhythm of Still Life”, Santa Cruz Oil Painters Group Show
2014 PSWC Membership Show, MERIT AWARD
2014 Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History, " Central Coast landscapes: Celebrating Nature in Painting" AWARD FOR BEST DEPICTION OF A CALIFORNIA COASTAL NATIONAL MONUMENT
2013 Eloise Pickard Smith Gallery, UCSC, "The Drawing Salon"
2013 Santa Cruz Art League, 83rd Statewide Landscape Exhibition, "Incredible Places" BEST IN SHOW
2013 PSWC, “Pastels USA”, International Exhibition
Memberships
Pastel Society of the West Coast, Signature Member
Ajijic Society of the Arts
Ceramic Art
Permanent Collection:
Tai Pei Fine Arts Museum, Taiwan
Public Installations:
El Camino Hospital, Mountain View, CA
Kaiser Hospital, San Jose, CA
Valley Medical Center, San Jose, CA
