Judith de Zanger has fallen in love with both sculpting and the philosophy of the Tao. The Tao is all about finding your "Way" or "Path" through listening to yourself, paying attention to your intuition and becoming "one with". Judith combines this philosophy in her work as well as in her teaching and is the author of "Getting Stoned: The Tao of Sculpting" as well as "The Tao of Creativity" and "The Tao of Living on Purpose". Her work is represented by Gallery 71 in NYC, Arts in the Square in Watertown, NY, and the Wheelhorse Gallery in Westchester, NY. Judith is a member of the American Society of Contemporary Artists. She has been in many juried and group shows and has had solo shows at the Southern Vermont Center, the Beside - Myself Gallery and the Mari Gallery. She has won awards at the Pen and Brush Club, NYC, the Salamagundi Club, NYC and the Mari Gallery in Westchester. Her sculpture aims to express the life force, the Chi (Energy), of the form. The best work is when the spirit or energy of the stone or wood comes alive. "Form exists in order to express spirit" (Gu Kaizh), is a kind of mantra for her.

"When I sculpt I am listening to both myself and to the stone, collaborating with it and, at times, allowing it to guide me. The stone contains surprises, the unknown, and I move into uncertainty--letting go of the known or planned. When you become one with the stone, you begin to feel the energy of the stone – it's Chi – it's life force and suddenly the stone is open and speaking. The process is a dialogue and one of allowing a form to emerge, rather than forcing one onto the stone. It is a very meditative and, for me, spiritual practice. It is all about the journey, not the destination."

Although based in NYC, Judith has spent the last 26 years coming to Vieques in the winter. She can often be found under a palm tree working on a stone or giving a class. The sculptures on display in the gallery are inspired by Vieques .

Her sculptures can be seen at flickr.com/photos/taosculptinga>. She can be reached at creativityinstitute@juno.com or 212-289-8856