30 Jan 2018

Eat Chicken

posted in: animal paintings, Judy Lavoie, limited palette, New Artwork, watercolor | 0

  Searching through my big file of reference photos, I came upon shots I took a few years ago when we brought our Florida visitors Dee and Len to experience some of our friends’ farms. These cows were some I photographed at Susan and Dave’s, where they raise males, born on a dairy farm so of little use for the milking operation. Susan bottle feeds the newest arrivals, then raises them in a lovely open pasture, with her chickens ranging … Read More
26 Jan 2018

Keep Out

posted in: limited palette, New Artwork, watercolor | 0

I passed this bizarre decaying building on a little-travelled rural backroad and was happy to have my camera. It was a sunny morning and the front of the building was bathed in light. If only this place could tell me its story, sitting close to the road in the middle of nowhere, with bars over the windows. Had it served as a small community jail? I loved its quirks – the weathered siding, the red stains at the top of … Read More
12 Jan 2018

Good Thing She’s Cute

posted in: animal paintings, limited palette, New Artwork, Tips and Techniques, watercolor | 0

  All my paintings in the past year were done in acrylics, and now I’m trying to ease back into watercolors. Over the years I’ve done many watercolor paintings using a limited palette – basically just red, yellow and blue – such as Jerry Van Music Man and Grandpa’s Fiddle Break. In those cases, I mixed the pigments on the palette to create new colors, then brushed the mixed colors on the paper. Now I’m trying another method: letting the … Read More
5 Jan 2018

This Bud’s For Me

posted in: acrylic, Judy Lavoie, New Artwork, series, still life | 0

I don’t often do a painting just for myself, other than my own dogs’ portraits. This is a special one which I was determined to finish in 2017. It’s part of a series, another atypical characteristic of my art. It’s not a Monet-type of series, where he painted subjects such as haystacks, the Rouen Cathedral, and waterlilies over and over in different lighting and weather conditions. No, my series is very different – I have painted the same vase three … Read More
14 Dec 2017

December: Values

posted in: Judy Lavoie, tone, value | 0

One of the most important design elements in a painting is value. Value (or tone) can be defined as how light or dark a color appears, rather than its actual color (“hue” or “chrome.”) Think of a black and white photograph, where the image is composed of blacks and whites, plus a full range of grey values. The same is true of a drawing in pencil or charcoal, as with my drawing of my cat Ernie. Turn any color image … Read More
29 Nov 2017

November: 12 Tips for Reference Photos

posted in: inspiration, reference photos, Tips and Techniques | 0

“Elle’s Tobacco Planter” I once visited a gallery where the artist’s bio said he painted everything from his imagination – this was hard to believe, considering his work was realistic, detailed, and covering a wide variety of subjects. I learned quickly when I began painting decades ago that I would need to rely on reference photos to paint from. Some artists work outdoors, on location – en plein air – but that requires the time and flexibility to get out … Read More
17 Nov 2017

Little What’s His Name

posted in: commissioned painting, dog portrait, Judy Lavoie, pet portraits | 0

  For an excitable little dog, he’s been very patient. Watson joined our family in January 2015 and I’ve finally finished his portrait, which I started months ago… painting is my moonlighting job, so life often gets in the way! We adopted Watson from the local shelter where he had been surrendered by his owners just before Christmas. He was estimated to be about 11 months old. We figured we better not change his name, since he seemed to know … Read More
30 Oct 2017

October: Don’t Worry – Be Creative

posted in: creativity | 0

  Many people are afraid to try painting or other artwork, often to avoid failure or criticism. I can understand; it took me many years of painting until I felt comfortable even saying “I am an artist.” This post is not about painting – it’s about putting art into your everyday life. Dare to be creative and have fun! It can be the first step to turning yourself into an artist. I choose this topic for my special October message … Read More
12 Oct 2017

An Artsy Month

posted in: art show, event | 0

During October I am taking part in a lot of art events, which is unusual for me! Beginning this weekend, I’ll be setting up booths for show and for sale at two different events. I’ll be exhibiting original paintings, limited and open edition prints, and notecards. If you are in my area, please come say hello! Sat/Sun, October 14-15, 2017:The Coker Creek Tennessee ANNUAL GOLD FESTIVAL will be held on the grounds of the elementary school at mile marker 34 … Read More
28 Sep 2017

September: Landscapes

posted in: landscape, Tips and Techniques | 0

I love the creative opportunities I have when designing and painting a landscape. If I’m not depicting a “landmark,” as I described in my August post, then I have the freedom to invent my own scene. As I’ve mentioned in the past, I keep a big reference file of my own digital photos, from which I have fun borrowing and combining elements when painting a landscape. I often create landscapes with one main focal point, like a building or an … Read More

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