INSPIRED BY LIVING COLOR

Brey's watercolor titled "Cupid and Lace".

Through her art, Judi Brey both understands and appreciates the world around her a little better each day.

A self-taught watercolor artist, Brey first became interested in painting and drawing as a child. She jumped into the world of self-discovery as an artist by first experimenting with colors. She received a magazine gift of paint-by-numbers but found out quickly her imagination fought the narrow parameters of those small spaces.

She studied art in college but found she was moving in one direction while her instructors were trying to steer her in another. "My professor would always fuss at me for getting caught up in the details," she said.

But then 10 years ago her husband Jerry was transferred to Kansas City. It took just two weeks for her to find the Kansas City Art Institute and a whole new world of creativity. "It was just a dream come true," she said.

She has been reaping rewards from her gift ever since. The Cape Girardeau artist recently captured one of seven awards for Recognition of Watercolor Artists at "Mosaics : Missouri's Festival for the Arts."

The competition, which took place in St. Charles, Mo., in June involved over 100 artists from across the country. Brey won $500 for her recognized work.

Such success doesn't give her reason to relax, however. She continues to become fascinated by rich colors and is inspired to create more art from that source. "I believe that a painting truly begins when something aesthetic, whether color, shape, pattern or texture, excites my mind's eye," she said.

"My work has opened my eyes and my senses to the visual joys of the world we inhabit. I feel as if there is always a new challenge waiting for me."

While in Kansas City, Judi received several awards for her paintings. She won the Award of Excellence at the Metcalf Art Show, which was sponsored by the Greater Kansas City Art Association. She is a staff member of the organization.

She received a Patrons Purchase Award for "Art in the Woods" at Overland Park, Kan. She exhibited in several juried shows, including the Westport Art Show and the Mid-Winter Art Fair in Kansas City, Mo., and the Prairie Village, Kansas Art Show.

She was associated with Art Images Gallery in Kansas City, exhibiting two paintings each month. When her husband was transferred back to Cape, Brey wondered if she would lose the magic touch she discovered in Kansas City.

"I started receiving some awards and displaying in galleries and built a clientele," she said. "When I started doing well at this, my husband was transferred and I thought it was the end of me as an artist. I have found out, however, that you can be an artist anywhere. You just have to drive a lot more to achieve the end result."

She still returns to Kansas City to exhibit at various shows.

In the fall of 1988 Brey displayed her work at the SEMO Council on the Arts Gallery 100 in Cape. She also had a solo show at Southeast Missouri State University's Gallery.

"When I began to paint in watercolor, I used a technique similar to the one I had used with oils," she said. "It was dense, rich and vibrant. I have never taken seriously the water part of watercolor."

Judi received first place in the Missouri Spring Festival of Art for 1992 and the Art Happening Award of Excellence in St. Louis. She also claimed first place in the Carbondale Arts in Celebration for 1992.

Her studio is in her home overlooking her garden, the source of much of her inspiration. "My studio is in my home and I enjoy that fact," she said. "Painting is a lonely profession but it becomes a lot easier because I like being around my home," she said.