Biography

Judith Laws has been a practicing artist for 40 years, and during her career has had exhibitions in most major capital cities and regional centers as well as showing in London and Singapore. Laws has had over 50 solo exhibitions and innumerable group and two person exhibitions. Her work is represented in corporate and private collections in Australia and Overseas.

Born in Charters Towers Queensland Australia, she grew up in the country town of Gatton, moved to Brisbane with her family where she completed her Teacher training. Eventually moving to the Darling Downs where she commenced her art education.  Laws now lives with her husband fellow artist Rex Backhaus-Smith on the Sunshine Coast,  Queensland – firstly in the Hinterland and for the past 5 years on the Sunshine Coast.

Laws paints from ideas and her imagination. Her expressive abstract images are not bound by subject matter or medium but flow through acrylics water colours and mixed medium often using oil sticks , pastels, and collage. Judith is an exceptional colourist with her own unique and expressive style. Her interpretive thought processes and consummate colour control show her passion and the ability to stimulate the imagination.

Books on Judith work include a superb volume titled Judith Laws by Rex Backhaus-Smith, published by Playright Press, Sydney containing 60 colour reproductions and black and white drawings, sensationally presents the art of Judith Laws.

A soft covered book, published by Boolarong Press Brisbane, titled,” Face of Tragedy” subtitled Reinventing the Eliza Fraser Saga, compiled by Rex Backhaus- Smith with paintings by Judith Laws  launched  with an exhibition titled,  Beauty and Tragedy on Fraser Shores, in 2014.

Artist Statement

“I find everything about painting exciting and absorbing. I purposely choose canvases of different shapes and sizes, challenging my imagination to explore different compositions.”

“For me, the most exciting part is applying loads of paint to the blank canvas, not haphazardly, but quickly, pushing the colours around in a very loose composition.”

“I find I spend more time studying my work at different stages before making any decisions on the next stages or not. Sometimes I am quite surprised when a paiinting reminds me of some place I have been or seen.”

“I find it hard to explain my paintings or give them titles, but hope that the viewer will use their own imagination and interpretations.”