Meet Judy Day | Artist/Creative

We had the good fortune of connecting with Judy Day and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Judy, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I have been a member artist and LLC partner of High Country ARTisans since we moved to the Silverthorne Outlet Mall in Silverthorne Colorado in June of 2017. Before that I was a member artist and bookkeeper for the gallery when it was under a different LLC when we were located in Keystone. So it is not my business. I am one of three LLC partners for the gallery. I was invited to join the gallery back in 2010 and thought it would be a fun adventure during retirement. It has been an interesting learning experience being a member of the LLC. I had no knowledge of sales tax licenses, sales tax filings, periodic reports, lease requirements, and all the other things you need to know about to run a small business. 65% of small businesses do not survive to the 15 year mark and we are in our 13th year. We are very proud of that. We have learned as we go and have improved our protocols in order to be successful. We have been voted #1 Art Gallery in the Best of Summit voting for the past two years.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I was an Occupational Therapist in both the military and civilian settings. Back in the day, Occupational Therapy used weaving, ceramics, leatherwork, woodworking and macrame as therapeutic modalities. The practice has evolved and those modalities are no longer used. As I had always made hand made gifts and art projects growing up it was a great fit. When I was a Home Health OT, I used my creative imagination to make adaptive devices for my patients out of materials they had in their homes in order to save them money. I have always been excited by what I can come up with using my imagination. I look at things that are normally thrown away and try to see how I can incorporate them in an art project. We are such a throw away society its nice to keep things out of the landfill.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My husband and I are very outdoor oriented. I would take my friend to kayak or hike here in the Summit. I would take them to eat at the Ten Mile Tavern at Copper Mountain. I would take them on a bike ride on the Mineral Belt Trail in Leadville and if we had time camping near Steamboat Lake. If it was in the winter we would go skiing at Copper.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My mother painted in watercolor. I wanted to continue her legacy by learning to paint in watercolor when I retired. I joined Women of Watercolor here in Summit when we retired in 2007. Through classes and workshops in WOW and classes through Colorado Mountain College I learned to paint in watercolor. WOW is a wonderful group of women who encourage each other in their watercolor journeys as they paint together plein air in the summer and inside during the winter. I have expanded my art portfolio to include mixed media, junk journals, jewelry and other paper crafts. I have used Pinterest and You Tube for my inspiration for these art modalities. I love the creative challenge of making something out of nothing with recycled and repurposed materials.

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