PORT ST. LUCIE PEOPLE
JUDITH “JUDY” COFFMAN
Age: 77
Family: husband, Skip - retired
Army; two adult children: Camille
and Steve; 9 grandchildren,
2 great-grandchildren
Background: raised in East Jordan,
Mich.; Army wife, worked
and taught in craft shops
What Inspires Me: “The weather — I have a need to
be outdoors.”
Something people don’t know about me: “I earned a black
belt in tae kwon do while living in Korea.”
FORT
Port St. Lucie Magazine 43
FORT
PIERCE
PIERCE
“For the Herbs and Edibles theme, everyone dressed as cooks
or chefs. It’s always a hoot for the men, women and sometimes
grandchildren who participate,” she adds.
Known in art circles throughout the Indian River shores,
Coffman has produced many large props for local nonprofits,
her most recent being an oversized canvas beach scene
complete with a treasure chest that children will embellish
with gems and shells during a spring break grief camp for
Treasure Coast Hospice.
Living overseas as a military wife, Coffman was influenced
by oriental arts. She built a dragon head for Heathcote Botanical
Garden’s first Bonsai Ball, which is used annually for
the dragon parade dance. She also works with a core group
that has been making products to sell in the gift shop. The
Coffman collection, her handmade fashion jewelry, is sold at
Heathcote’s gift shop with proceeds benefiting the gardens.
Over the years her whimsical scherenschnitte, (which means
“scissor cuts” in German, and is the art of paper cutting
design) has been displayed on the walls at the Morningside
library. She has also displayed works at the Art Associates of
Martin County’s annual exhibits at the Martin County Fair.
A member of ArtMundo, Center for Creative Expression, she
has entered paintings and 3D sculptures in its gallery shows.
Her cat portraits have been in Calendart, the annual fundraiser
for nonprofit. Although she primarily paints anthropomorphic
cat caricatures, she personally does not own any
animals.
“A neighbor cat comes to call on occasion,” she says. E
This scherenschnitte by Coffman is entitled Two Piece Rabbit Band.
/www.thecakeladybakes.com