Sweet Tooth

By Lucy Arnold, Art Editor

 

watercolor painting
“Eye Candy,” watercolor (22 x 30) by Judy Nunno featured on The Pen Woman Fall 2022 cover

Judy Nunno of Fort Lauderdale Branch, Florida, paints exquisite realistic watercolors that are breathtaking in their detail and color. They often feature transparent, reflective elements such as crystal and glass. Amazingly, she didn’t start painting in watercolor until after retirement.

Mostly self-taught, Nunno took a few watercolor classes in 2006 and was quickly hooked on the fluid medium. She creates beauty out of ordinary objects using light and shadow, delighting in capturing fine details.

“After a friend told me she wanted to stay awhile and visit one of my paintings, I realized that my goal as an artist is to stir emotion within and bring pleasure to those who view my work,” she says. “The best compliment is when someone tells me one of my paintings made them smile.”

“Candy Bar,” 22×30 watercolor painting by Judy Nunno

Like many people, Nunno turned to sweets for comfort during the COVID-19 pandemic. But instead of eating them, she painted them! In 2020, she began a series that included all sorts of treats, often in glass containers or wrapped in cellophane. Working from reference photos, Nunno draws the subjects on watercolor paper, saving whites with masking fluid. She applies many layers of transparent color, often adding a dark background to make the colors pop.

Fourteen of Nunno’s candy paintings are showcased in “Candyland!” at the Frank C. Otis Art Gallery in Pembroke Pines, Florida.

“I hope these paintings bring viewers a sense of joy and playfulness, maybe even evoking a sweet childhood memory of a favorite treat,” she says.

Nunno is a signature member of American Watercolor Society, National Watercolor Society, Transparent Watercolor Society of America, Florida Watercolor Society, Southern Watercolor Society, Gold Coast Watercolor Society, and Palm Beach Watercolor Society. She was a two-time winner in Watercolor Artist magazine’s Annual Watermedia Competition and one of her crystal paintings was named by Watercolor Artist as one of the top 34 watermedia paintings of 2013. Her paintings have been published in seven “Splash: The Best of Watercolor” books and in two articles in Watercolor Artist magazine.

Enjoy more of her work at judynunno.com.