Judith Baker Montano is a globally recognized Canadian fiber artist, author, and teacher with extensive expertise in various artistic mediums. She grew up at the Bar U Ranch National Historic Site in Alberta, Canada, and her heritage heavily influenced her passion for fabrics and embellishments. Her artistic journey was influenced by her great-grandmother, a master quilter, and her mother, who taught her needle skills from a young age.

Throughout her career, Judith has achieved numerous accolades and milestones. She is the originator of the "Center Piece Crazy Quilt Method" and has become a leading expert in crazy quilting, silk ribbon work, and embellishments. Her innovative designs, rich fabrics, vibrant color combinations, and intricate embroidery have garnered international recognition and featured in prestigious exhibitions and publications worldwide.
Besides her artistic endeavors, Judith is a prolific author with several best-selling books to her name, including "Crazy Quilt Handbook," "The Art of Silk Ribbon Embroidery," and "Elegant Stitches." In total, her 14 books have sold over a million and a half copies and inspired and educated countless artists and enthusiasts in the fiber arts community.
As a dedicated teacher and mentor, Judith has shared her knowledge and skills with students, worldwide, teaching classes on crazy quilting, silk ribbon embroidery, and embellishments. Her commitment to education and mentorship has earned her prestigious awards and accolades, including the "Governor General’s Centennial Award of Canada" for her contributions to the arts.
I was lucky enough to catch up with Judith recently. She shared glimpses of her extraordinary life as an artist, teacher, and writer. Her life could serve as a blueprint for how to be a successful artist.

Start with a solid work ethic 

For Judith (Jude to her friends), being an artist is about being productive. She says, “This is how I put two children through university. This is how I bought a home. I work in my studio from nine AM till very late at night. I work every day. I'm just now trying to meet a commission piece on a small quilt that I promised the buyer I would have done by next week. Then, I have seminars starting August 2. I'm teaching three back-to-back, five-day seminars in my studio.”
The pace is nothing new to her. Growing up on the largest cattle ranch in Canada, it was impossible not to learn a rigorous work ethic. But she also found mentors along the way who taught her the importance of always working in your medium. 
She shared, “You have to, I mean, if you're serious about it. Robert Ulman was an Australian watercolorist. He became a mentor to me and a dear friend. He would say a successful artist has a good work ethic. He always said being an artist was 90 percent work ethic and 10 percent talent. There are so many other people out there who are more talented than I am. I mean, mind bending talent, but they don't have the work ethic, so they're not going to make a living with their art. You have to give up many lunches and coffee breaks and seeing people. You have to treat it like a job.” 

Add Observation and Color Acumen

Judith says one of the key challenges for artists is being observant. She emphasized the need for artists to see beyond the surface and truly understand the elements that make up a piece. She mused, “I've learned to be a very observant person. That's one of the challenges my students face. They do not know how to observe. They don't look at everything as a painter does. A painter looks at the whole–like, we look at a picture, and we're looking at the background, the mid-ground and the foreground of a piece. I have to think like a painter in my work, even with crazy quilting and needlework. It has to have a background, midground and a foreground. And that's really hard. You have to learn to be observant.” 
She went on to discuss the role of color acumen in art. Judith emphasized that the ability to truly see and understand color is innate. She explained, “You're born with it. One of the hardest things for me to teach students is color.
I tell my students that perfect pitch is very important in singing, and if you don’t have it, you can never learn it. However, if you don’t have a good eye for color, you can learn and develop it. I start them out with a basic color wheel and the complementary colors. It is all about practice and observation. Unfortunately, the inborn ability to see color can’t be taught: it’s just there.”
Judith's expertise in color led to her collaborations with international companies. She explained, ”That's why I'm hired by companies like Kanagawa Silk Corporation in Japan and Buscilla Kit Corporation and different international companies to create color lines for them. I have a line of silk threads and ribbons with Treenway Silks.I can see color and know what will happen when the dyes touch each other and blend. And that's where my painting background comes in.”