Images
Judith Paul and Tom Durden
Judith is, and has been, a kaleidoscope collector by addiction, and an art conservator by vocation. She lives with her husband, Tom, and more than 400 kaleidoscopes. She will not give up either.
Her intense interest in scopes led her to her first design, a collaboration with the very well known scope maker Sherry Moser. Their scope “The Monet Garden” won both The Peoples Choice and Brewster Society Award for Creative Ingenuity. This was a limited edition of 100 kaleidoscopes and was sold out immediately. Judith is now in collaboration wit Tom and they make both production and limited edition scopes under the company name – Images.
Tom, recently retired from United Airlines, does all the mirror making and is in charge of production. Long a craft enthusiast, with considerable experience in ceramics and fused glass, he has studied mirror making with many of the best in the field and enjoys the pursuit of perfection. He has a trained eye, patience, and the determination to master the difficult, and very important, part of a kaleidoscope that creates the mandala.
Judith, whose degrees in art are from Brown University and the University of Chicago, ahs also studied at the Rhode Island School of Design and the Art Institute of Chicago. She is a professional Art Conservator and cares for many private collections. She has also been a professional studio photographer, ceramicist, fabric designer and glass artist. At Images, she is charge of design – and shopping.
Together they began making scopes in 1998. Judith had long wanted to design scopes, but also wanted to go in her own direction with them. The series, “It’s a Wrap” consists, at present, of more than 80 themed kaleidoscopes. A fabric wrapped tube is paired with a cell that contains realistic charms and beads that echo the theme of the exterior. The “Cascade Series” features kaleidoscopes that are liquid filled, interior and exterior. In 2000 the team introduced two new lines – the “WoodLights” and the “Jewels”. Judith also designs and makes limited edition scopes for the very serious collector.