Visit Artist: judyvanderveen.ca

Raised in the Fraser Valley in and around the farming communities, it is only natural that Judy's subject matter would reflect her deep rooted interests. She started riding horses as a teenager and has remained a horsewoman all her life. Judy began showing horses a few years after she began riding, participating in many gymkhanas, rodeos and large horse shows. One of her accomplishments includes being chosen the first recipient of the Miss Horsemanship trophy in the Cloverdale Rodeo Queen Pageant. An avid trail rider, Judy competed in the grueling 50-mile endurance ride/race once hosted in Abbotsford.

Judy comes from a long line of very talented and creative people. In her Norwegian lineage are writers, visual artists, blacksmiths, animal lovers, farmers and sailors (and most likely a Viking or two). Her art training has been squeezed in between various occupations ranging from bookkeeper to millworker to farm worker.

After raising her family of two children (one princess and one Viking boy ) she is returning to her true calling, painting and drawing the things she loves-rodeo life, cowboys, wildlife and mountains. Her life experiences come through her pencil drawings and bring the viewer into her world, giving them a sense of peace and comfort. One can almost smell the horses sweat or feel the cool air the rider is breathing in.