In addition to creating art, Judy Maples has several passions. One of those passions is saving dogs. In fact, she fosters dogs regularly and has pictures of every one of the 85 dogs she’s fostered. She is also a grammar nerd and admits to being a "recovering proofreader.” Judy is a nature lover, too. She prefers being outdoors, as long as it doesn’t involve exercise. And thanks to the music of the Foo Fighters -- and the support of her husband -- Judy’s most recent passion inspired her to take drum lessons. Her primary passion, though, continues to be the mid-century modern aesthetic, including abstract paintings of that era, especially those of Mark Rothko.

In 2022, Judy took a workshop on the Principles of Abstraction led by Larry Moore, and that’s when she was "bit by the bug.” She now spends most of her free time painting and creating art. "There’s a healing power and a sense of calm that only a brush on canvas can give,” she explains.

Judy was thrilled (and she confesses is still in disbelief) to have won first place in the amateur division at the 2022 South Carolina State Fair for her painting, "Concrete and Gold.” It was the first contest she’s ever entered; she said she just can’t wrap her head around the phrase, "award-winning artist.” She says that she gets giddy every time someone buys one of her paintings! Recently, Judy and her paintings were featured in the Art Issue of Chapin magazine.

Judy’s goal is to improve and grow as an artist creating abstracts that are simple but not basic.
To view more of Judy’s art, follow her on Instagram @JudyMaplesArt or email her directly at
JudyMaplesArt@gmail.com.