Judith Kazdym Leeds: America’s Food Fetishes

I Couldn’t Resist a Taste, 2022, Pastel, 12 x 17 ½ inches.

Artist’s Statement:
This series, “America’s Food Fetishes,” is artist Judith Leeds’ commentary on both America’s and her addiction to certain foods, those we all hate to love. Eating these comfort foods, though not great for our diet, brings back memories of our childhood. As we continue to eat them throughout our lives, we make new memories. From that first morning cup of coffee to a cheesy pizza, she endeavors to add a bit of humor to illustrate our relationship to these treats.

Artist’s Bio
Judith Leeds is an internationally known, award-winning artist whose paintings reflect her emotionally unique and colorful view of our daily life. She paints portraits, still lifes, and landscapes in both pastels and oils.

Leeds is a Signature Member of the Pastel Society of America, in the International Association of Pastel Societies Master Circle, has had an eight-page feature article in the premier international magazine Pastel Journal, and has received numerous awards from the Portrait Society of America. She was included in a special exhibit in the pastel wing of the Butler Institute of American Art in 2026 and the Hilbert Museum of Art’s special pastel exhibition. She has been a finalist in Artist’s Magazine and Richerson 75’s annual international competitions, received a Gold Medal in Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club’s international exhibition, was Audubon Artists’ 70th Annual Silver Medal of Honor recipient, and has earned eight Best in Show awards from the Pastel Society of New Jersey, among many other awards. She is an elected member of the venerable Salmagundi Club, New York. Her work is in the permanent collection of the Mayo Performing Arts Center.

Leeds was formerly an international award-winning graphic artist who created over 3,000 book covers, including The Color Purple, which was selected as one of Literary Hub’s 25 Most Iconic Covers in History. Print Magazine included her work in their special edition “Forty Years of Innovative Typography in America 1940-1980”.

She gives workshops and demonstrations throughout the United States and also internationally. She has been a juror of awards for many shows.

Judith graduated cum laude from Boston University’s School of Fine Arts. She served on the boards of the Pastel Society of New Jersey and The Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club of New York. Her work can be found in both public and private collections.