For my newest painting I had two goals in mind: (1) to use acrylic paints in a highly transparent way, and (2) to use an odd shaped canvas I’ve had among my art supplies for too long. The canvas is three feet wide and a little over a foot tall, so I decided to use it horizontally and create a painting of a big backlit red poppy from my garden. To begin, I reviewed many poppy reference photos in my … Read More
This dog portrait is unlike my usual “head-shot.” My friend Jenny messaged me with a photo, sadly saying her daughter-in-law Lindsey’s dog Bree had just died at age 15. She asked if I could do a painting from the photo, as a surprise for Lindsey. I was grateful for the opportunity and eager to tackle the interesting pose. Unfortunately, the backlighting which helped to capture a dramatic pose simultaneously knocked out the details in the shadows. The photo was small … Read More
I’ve just completed one of two commissioned pet portraits I’ve been creating simultaneously. This one is of my ‘god-dog’ who is named Lonesome. He is the most timid dog I’ve ever met, always slipping off to the security of his dog bed when guests are at his house. My husband Rick took it as a personal challenge to convince Lonesome that it was safe to let Rick get close. It took a little while, but they eventually bonded. Our eldest … Read More
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
I remember my first ride in a Volkswagen Beetle. I was a young teen and my friend Cindy’s sister Martha was driving me home in her “bug.” To an impressionable teen, she seemed to be one with her car. I remember the left turn from Main Street onto the street where I lived; with no on-coming traffic she didn’t slow down much as she cut the corner. I watched her pull the steering wheel with her two hands right next … Read More
I’ve done many paintings in watercolor using a “limited palette” – basically mixing all the colors from the primary colors of red, blue, and yellow. One of the first times I tried this was for “Americana”. More recent examples include “Grandpa’s Fiddle Break,” “Jerry Van, Music Man,” and “Jesus Saves.” For some reason, I never thought about doing the same thing with my acrylic paints until recently. I was exhibiting at an outdoor show and I wanted to set up … Read More
My painting theme this month is “sweet” and here are four of my paintings, with a variety of subjects, which I think fit this category. Of course, February is always sweet for me, since Valentine’s Day is the day I married my forever sweetheart! “Decadence” features a super sweet display of yummy chocolates. This painting was a real departure from my usual subject matter. I purposely aimed at creating a strong and unusual image, since my intention was to enter … Read More
“Let It Snow” © Judy Lavoie “December Snow” © Judy Lavoie Based on the popularity of my new 2017 Calendar (still a few available @ $15), I am beginning a monthly Artwork Feature. The calendar features one of my paintings for each month, and, similarly, my blog posts will focus on one of my painting themes each month. This month it’s “snow!” Paintings of snowy landscapes are one of my favorite subjects. We don’t get a lot of snow where … Read More
It’s OK now to post another one of my newest paintings, a portrait of our dog Maggie Mae. This was one of my Christmas surprise gifts for Rick. It was challenging to complete this painting without Rick’s knowledge, since my painting area is part of our large office and we are together 24/7. A few times the canvas was quickly slipped into a large drawer, with the paint still wet! For this painting, done in acrylic on canvas, I used … Read More
It’s safe for me to reveal another of my newest paintings, which has now been opened as a Christmas surprise. This is a new dog portrait of a rescued puppy very dear to my heart, named Hunter. Hunter & Ellie Mae soon after he was rescued. The short version of Hunter’s story is that our friend Kathy found him wandering in the woods over Labor Day weekend 2012, homeless and totally emaciated. Rick and I agreed to give him a … Read More