Judith Hope Blau
American artist (1938–2025)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Judith Hope Blau (April 5, 1938 – May 4, 2025) was an American painter, jewelry maker, writer, and toy designer.[1]
Early life and education
Blau was born in the Bronx. Her parents were dentist Samuel Ravinett and Evalynne (Korodsky) Ravinett, an entrepreneur who operated laundromats.[1]
Blau graduated from the University of Rochester with a fine-arts degree.[2] She also studied at Cornell University, Hunter College, and Columbia University.[1]
Career
Blau was a painter,[1] who then developed a necklace made from painted mini-bagels which became extraordinarily popular and was sold in stores, including Bloomingdale's.[3][1]
Blau published a children's book The Baker of Mulliner Lane in 1976. A review in The New York Times Book Review commented that her "illustrations start pleasantly muted but turn loony."[3]
She later branched out into toy design, developing several successful toys, including one that sold a million units for Hasbro in 1985.[1]