Judee Nuechter - Biography

Judee Was born and raised in Iowa and is a graduate of the University of Iowa in Related Art. She has worked as an interior designer, Realtor, and had her own Real Estate Appraisal firm for 28 years in Colorado prior to retiring and becoming a full time Arizona resident. She spent 6 years as a winter resident of Wickenburg and fell in love with the desert and the awesome sunrises and sunsets with all of the brilliant colors, which serve as an inspiration for her jewelry.

I did not begin designing or making jewelry until nearing retirement although creativity and art have been a passion of mine for many years. I see designs for my jewelry in nature, animals, and especially the vibrant Arizona desert.

Colors for my work are chosen from the beautiful sunsets, desert flowers, mountains and Southwestern Native American influences.

I started in this field designing and making jewelry with bead crochet techniques but found I was limited to smaller pieces that others could easily recreate. About 8 years ago I found my passion in bead embroidery, which allowed me to design and create a unique piece of jewelry that was one of a kind and would also allow others to enjoy the beauty of our state as well as Colorado, my previous home. I’ve been blessed to have learned the techniques of bead embroidery from three other artists that are renowned for this medium and able to understand the relationship of art and nature and how to apply this to my designs. 

Polymer clay is another medium that I enjoy and often make focal beads for my jewelry.

I became a juried artist at Wickenburg Art Club in Wickenburg AZ in 2019 where my jewelry has been displayed.

My jewelry is also shown at Happi Hoops in Prescott AZ, Perfect Picture Gallery in Lake Oswego OR, and the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole WY as well as the Wickenburg Art Club.