Tuesday, June 24, 2025
78 ° Clear
78 ° Clear
Bucks County has attracted many artists throughout the years for its enduring landscapes and historic architecture. Watercolor artist, Judy Kieta LaTorre of Newtown, finds the same inspiration from the county’s familiar, eclectic and bucolic scenes and centuries of rich history.
A native of western Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh, Judy has lived and worked for several decades in Newtown, producing paintings for private and home portrait commissions, public collections and individual purchase.
Judy’s work encompasses all that Bucks County offers from local favorites in downtown Newtown Borough to iconic Bucks County historic buildings and sites. Some examples include paintings of the Newtown Book and Record Exchange, the Black Horse Tavern, the Newtown Hardware House, the Brick Hotel, and the Newtown Movie Theatre.
In addition, her paintings have depicted various external and internal aspects of Bucks County landmarks such as the Washington Crossing Inn, the Moravian Tile Works, the Inn at Phillips’ Mill, the Lake Afton Library, the Olde Church of St. Andrew, the Bucks County Playhouse, the Pearl S. Buck House, and Fonthill Castle; to name a few.
“I love doing the stonework in the buildings, the texture and the brick on the older buildings and the history behind it. I start with a photo and it’s usually at a certain time of the day and season, like early morning or late afternoon when the sun has this really beautiful golden light on the building rather than historic white at noon time,” she explained.
Judy noted that getting the right lighting is an integral part of her work. “My favorite type of light is morning or late afternoon, usually spring, fall and winter lighting is better than the deep summer’s lighting. I take a camera all the time in my car on my cell phone. That’s actually how I find things. If I go looking for subjects, I won’t find the right lighting. I keep a camera in car and if I see something, I stop right there. You can’t say I’ll be back another day because it doesn’t work like that.”
Judy also paints florals, digital kaleidoscope designs, and she creates prints and notecards of her work. “I always had interest in art, and as a teenager I always loved painting and drawing, but I thought of it as a hobby, not as a career,” she recalled, adding that she graduated with a degree in medical technology.
In fact, Judy did not train formally as an artist. Her work evolved gradually while she was a young mom raising two children when she and her husband first moved to Newtown.
“I’m more of a self-taught artist than anything because I just learned through trial and error, and finally one gallery took my work, and it’s been 36 years that I’ve been painting here. I was keeping paintings under my bed for the longest time and then I thought, ‘let me take a risk and it worked!’”
Judy credits Canal Frame-Crafts Gallery in Washington Crossing as the first gallery to accept her artwork. Judy has worked with the gallery staff for many years and her artwork is currently available for purchase at the gallery.
Judy reminisced about taking her children at ages three and five with her to galleries and shows while also delivering paintings. “I always referred to them as my ‘business partners’ when I took them somewhere. They were very cooperative, and they let me paint. I really started painting mostly when they started pre-school.”
Judy’s work is exclusive to watercolors. “The only medium I use is watercolor. When I started learning, I just never even tried another medium. I love the look and the transparency of watercolor. It’s easy to paint reflections in the windows and shadows. I think I’m probably very technical in the drawings because of my science background. I like the reflective sunlight and shadows and reflections in the paintings, so I consider myself a realist and impressionist at the same time.”
After taking numerous photos of a subject, Judy uses traditional and modern processes to produce her work. “Usually I start by taking several photos and put them in Photoshop and crop out what I don’t want in the photo. Then I adjust lighting on my own. I start with very detailed drawings. Sometimes it takes a week to get the drawing done because everything is detailed.
The painting is done in layers. I start with the layering of water staining colors and opaque colors. I actually put the photo on my computer screen and paint from that so I can see it better and get the detail.”
Over the years, Judy’s paintings have been part of many solo, juried, and group shows. Her work is displayed in several permanent collections including Tyler Hall at Bucks County Community College. Currently, Judy is working on some winter and snow scenes and “waiting for the weather to get nicer and the atmosphere to be more artistic and photogenic.”
She is a member of the Phillips’ Mill Community Association in New Hope where one of her winter scenes of the Moravian Tile Works will be exhibited at the end of March.
In addition to Canal Frame-Crafts Gallery in Washington Crossing, Judy’s artwork is also available for purchase at Countryside Gallery & Custom Frame Design in Newtown.
For more information about “Judy Kieta LaTorre Artworks” or to purchase directly from her website, visit judylatorreart.com or visit the Facebook Newtown page.
