Judy Schrader: Creating small, but very mighty art

Warren County | Allegheny National Forest & Surrounds Landscape of the PA Wilds

Judy Schrader’s love for art began when she was just a child, and it soon grew into a lifetime of creation. Based in Warren County in the Allegheny National Forest and Surrounds landscape of the Pennsylvania Wilds, her art has ranged from boundless wilderness scenes to miniature details of the wonders of nature.

Schrader’s grandfather, Ernest Albaugh, who was a self-taught artist, introduced her to the craft at a young age. As she began creating, he would often help her.

She began painting in 1978, but her artistic dreams expanded beyond the paintbrush. Schrader has worked with a variety of mediums, including acrylic, colored pencils and mixed media. However, she finds oil paint to be her favorite.

Besides painting, Schrader likes to photograph wildlife and its surroundings. Living in the PA Wilds allows her to be able to go out, explore, photograph, and later paint the wildlife she has captured with her camera. 

Nothing in nature is off-limits when Schrader is creating. She paints flowers, butterflies, moths, frogs, various landscapes, and even cats and dogs. She enjoys capturing nature with her camera and bringing it to life on canvas.

Wildlife is her favorite subject to paint. Black bear, wolves, deer, elk, raccoons, fox, cougar, birds of prey, song birds, waterfowl and much more are easy inspiration for Schrader to find in the PA Wilds.

In recent years, Schrader has also been creating miniature paintings, some even as small as 3”x3”! Also focusing on wildlife, these tiny wonders are nothing short of spectacular, capturing even the most minute details. Most of her miniature paintings are available for sale on her website. 

Schrader has won several top awards for her creations. Some of her works of art have even graced the cover of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association magazine, as well as the cover of PA Game News in 2007. 

One of Schrader’s proudest accomplishments was a painting she did after the New York City 9/11 disaster, titled “Tribute.” It was raffled off, and the $3,100 proceeds were given to the New York Police and Firefighter Widows’ and Children’s Benefit Fund. 

In 2020, she was also one of only four juried into the Miniature Artists of America. She calls it the greatest accomplishment of her career. 

Schrader continues to create mini works of art based on her surroundings here in the PA Wilds, with nature as her muse. With the beauty of the natural world simply steps from her front door in Warren County, she is excited to see what she will be inspired to create next.

Judy Schrader is a Creative Maker within the PA Wilds Cooperative. Learn more about the Judy Schrader by visiting her PA Wilds Cooperative profile or by searching the directory at members.pawildscenter.org.