“When I began working with polymer clay it was like falling in love.   And, like falling in love, the more I work with the medium, the more I discover, and the more my connection deepens.”

 From the time Judy Dunn could hold a crayon, or grasp a pair of scissors, she was creating.  Polymer clay satisfies her fascination with color and pattern, and adds the element of form.  Dunn finds much of her inspiration in nature.  She particularly enjoys examining how the most intricate designs and patterns in nature are frequently made through the repetition of a simple form.  She also finds inspiration in exploring the myriad possibilities of the interplay of color.

Surface design is an important element in much of Dunn’s work; whether it is through the subtle shifts in color and pattern created through layering in her Shibori series, or the more nuanced patterns on the surface of her pod series.  Much like the pattern woven into a piece of damask fabric, she manipulates the mica particles embedded in the clay body to create a pattern on components in her pod jewelry.  

Dunn is a self-taught artist.  Her formal training is in Chemistry and Business.  But her true love has always been the process of creating.  She began her exploration of the medium of polymer clay in 2003.  What she has learned has come from books, magazines, a few videos, a class with Kathleen Dustin, and most of all, from time spent in the studio.  This exploration has sometimes drawn on her experiences with other materials, and led to several innovations, such as folding clay into origami forms.  She has learned to continually stay open to what lies around the next corner.