Rogoway's

 Judy Richie

Judy Richie is a native of Austin, Texas and has been active in art since an early age. While still in high school she was chosen to attend a summer art camp at the University of Texas with the intent to major in art. A minor detour of marriage, six children and moving to Colorado and later to Alaska to marry her present husband, Bob, interrupted that goal.

After moving near the small town of Lake City, Colorado, Judy painted and ran her own gallery and later owned and operated a bed and breakfast inn for eight years. She painted murals on some of the walls that two subsequent owners have chosen to leave intact. While in Colorado Judy attended several oil painting workshops. She also developed an abiding interest in the art and crafts of the Native American, especially those of the Southwest. While living in the small town of Valdez, Alaska, Judy became interested in gourd art and with the help of the Internet in obtaining supplies, books and articles from varied sources, taught herself the basics of working with gourds. She learned some of her basketry coiling techniques from Aleut and Eskimo women in Alaska.

Judy and her husband retired to Kerrville, Texas in the summer of 2002, where she has a studio and pursues her art a minimum of 30 hours a week. Since moving Kerrville she has expanded her repertoire of presentations and basketry. Judy's coiled basketry is unique in it's presentation and includes pine needles, raffia, various grasses, plant fibers, philodendron sheaths and feathers. Most of her baskets are sewn with either waxed linen or artificial sinew, but you'll find a few sewn with grasses. Discovering the use of gourds for sculptural figures has been a recent delight for Judy's gourd art. Most are Native American inspired. Several have won major awards.

• Since moving to Kerrville Judy has won numerous awards for her work. Some of the awards are:
•  "Best of Show" at the 2004 Texas Gourd Society in Austin, Texas and Judge's Choice Award" and "People's Choice Award" at the Arizona Gourd Society's 2005 Competition.
• 2005 Best of Show Texas Gourd Society, 2006 Best of Show, Arizona Gourd competition.
• 2006 Best of Show at the Southwest Fine Gourd Art Show at the Kerr Arts and Cultural Center in Kerrville, Texas. along with 2nd overall and a Special Award for the Best Southwestern Theme.
• 2007 Southwest Fine Art Gourd Show, 2nd place overall and the 2007 Texas Award for 2nd best of show at the Texas Gourd Society's 2007 Lone S tar Gourd Festival and recently won 2nd place at the 2008 Southwest Fine Art Gourd Show at the Kerr Arts and Cultural Center in Kerrville, TX.
• Alaska, Colorado, Texas, Nevada, New Mexico, Missouri, Florida, Illinois , Utah, Hawaii, Arizona, Illinois, New York City and Canada are some of the locations of pleased owners.