|
Art has been a part of Judy’s life longer than she can remember; since early childhood she has loved to draw and paint. Her first art award was for a crayon drawing her teacher named “The Calico Cat” – when she was in the first grade! Today she is grateful for the opportunity to indulge in her passion for painting. She loves capturing everyday subjects such as beloved pets, wildflowers, rural scenes, fishing boats, and landscapes, as well as depicting the exotic, such as frolicking dolphins and African wildlife. Judy paints in a highly realistic manner with a unique sensitivity to detail which has won her many awards for her fine art.
|
|
 |
 |
|
This little crayon drawing was done by Judy at age 7....
|
35 years later, Judy redid the same subject: "Now and Then"
|
|
Judy began painting with watercolors in 1980, while teaching art in public schools, after receiving a B.A. in Creative Arts summa cum laude. "I was teaching drawing and painting at the high school level at a time when my own creative outlets were 3-dimensional art forms like fiber work and pottery. I figured I should be honing my skills in what I was teaching, so I enrolled in an introductory watercolor evening class at a nearby vocational school taught by a local artist whose work I loved. By the end of the course, I was hooked on watercolors!"
Judy worked in watercolors for many years after that, as time permitted while her career shifted to graphic art. She was primarily self-taught as a painter, other than occassional demos she'd see other artists present. While living in St. Augustine, Florida, an active community of artists, Judy began to paint more, further refined her skills, and began to exhibit in galleries and shows. She developed a distinctive style, with dynamic use of color and dramatic lighting. She learned to use bold contrast and sharp edges to carry your eye to the center of interest, softening and muting tones in the rest of the painting. "I've never been one to use paints in a fluid, diluted way. I remember rubbing a wet brush around and around in the little square of color in my paint box as a kid, to get the paint really thick and dark.... I guess I never grew out if that!" Judy made a conscious shift from watercolors to acrylics in the late 90s. She had always disliked how framing her watercolor paintings under glass (necessary to protect the paper) created a barrier in front of the work. Paintings on canvas can be framed with nothing over the painting itself. The switch from watercolor paints to acrylics was a struggle, but Judy slowly adjusted to the differences, and adopted a palette of fluid acrylic paints by Golden which eased the transition. Today she paints nearly exclusively in acrylics and loves them. "Acrylics allow me to work in a variety of painting methods and on numerous surfaces, providing me with continuous challenges,” Judy reveals. Still harboring a deep-seated love, Judy can't resist occassionally painting with watercolor techniques, using the acrylics on watercolor paper as multiple glazes of transparent color, and letting the white of the paper create the whites of the art image. A wide variety of themes inspire Judy to paint. Most often, she has the finished painting pictured in her mind before it is even started. “I love to present subjects in a way most people don't take the time to see themselves,” the artist says. “By exaggerating colors, or sometimes altering them from reality, I aim to preserve a moment in time, recreating the subject in my own way.” Interesting textures - like weathered barn boards and rusted old trucks - inspire her, as do delicate colorful flowers and brightly lit landscapes. "I think that being an artist has made me more aware of my surroundings and more observant of the effects of light and shadows... and of the world around me." Judy most often does her own matting and framing to complete the presentation of her work, ensuring the finest quality from start to finish. |
|
| Judy was named Artist of the Year for 2002 by the Jacksonville Watercolor Society and her long list of awards attests to the quality of her work.
Judy’s strong design skills and graphic experience are undeniable in her paintings. Conversely, her graphic knowledge of digital art has also found its way as a tool in her fine art. Judy was one of the first in the country to use limited edition giclee prints to reproduce her work, scanning her original paintings to create digital files and printing in the finest quality inks available, as museum quality limited edition canvas and paper giclee prints. |
|
| Her work is in private collections in the US and abroad and is exhibited in many juried shows. The online gallery features original paintings and limited edition fine art prints. Judy also does work on commission, including pet portraits, also shown in the gallery. Judy Lavoie is a signature member and multiple award-winner of the Florida Watercolor Society and has been honored with Best in Show and numerous other awards.
Group Exhibitions and Competitions Tennessee Watercolor Society Solo Shows and Awards Solo Show, Butterfield Garage Art Gallery, St. Augustine FL, March 2004 Publications "Nana's Rocker" included in POURING LIGHT - Layering Transparent Watercolor by Jean Grastorf, published 2005, North Light Books. |
|
 |
|
|
Memberships Education |
|
| Gift Shop | Fine Art Gallery | Commissioned Painting | About the Artist |
| BLOG | Contact Us | Home | Lavoie Graphics |
