May 7th at 6pm
Justine Mantor-Waldie – Painting
Justine earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago where she studied printmaking under the internationally recognized artist, Vera Berdich. Applying to Graduate School at Northern Illinois University, Justine was the first and only student to be approved for her Master’s exhibit on the basis of her portfolio without ever attending classes at the University. She studied printmaking under David Driesbach, and she was awarded her Masters and Master of Fine Arts Degree in 1971. She became an Associate Professor at Loyola University where she taught Color Theory, Design and Drawing. Justine’s work has varied throughout the years concentrating on first Viscosity Printing, later handmade paper, and finally inks and etching on clayboard. She was one of the early members and Board Member of the women’s co-op ARC which is still in operation today.
Moving to Arizona in 1989 and making her home in Fountain Hills, Justine became the Drawing and Painting Artists in Residence for the City of Phoenix. While there, she created workshops in collage and mixed media watercolor and began extensive work with Ampersand clayboards. Justine has continued to exhibit her artwork nationally and internationally with works in the Illinois State Museum Fountain Hills Community Center and the National Museum of Women. An ardent voice for the arts, Justine sat on the National Board of Directors for the Women’s Caucus for Art, New York and was the President of the Arizona AWCA. She early retired from Loyola in 1993 after commuting from Chicago to Arizona for three years. She additionally taught Color, Design, and Drawing at Mesa Community College an additional 13 years.
As a consummate colorist with expertise in printmaking, clayboard provides Justine with a surface that has unusual possibilities. Using ink for painting, she brushes in layers or iridescent inks and transparent colored inks to create shimmering landscapes and a wide variety of desert plant paintings. She adds texture with rhythmic, linear effects by etching into the white under-layer of the blackboards. This unique combination of materials and technique yields rare paintings filled with depth and dynamism. Justine’s paintings are represented in collections throughout the US, Europe. Canada, China, and Mexico.