inspiration

“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

“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

Reference photos from my extensive files After the challenge of “In The Spotlight,” my second recent watercolor painting took me back into my comfort zone:  an old truck, a farm building, animals, and barbed wire. My goal was to incorporate and connect some diverse elements, hoping I could create a path for the eye to follow through my painting. My inspiration for this painting began with the old fire truck, retired from service from the nearby mountain community of Coker … Read More

Do you know who Great Grandpa Bunny Bunny is? You might think this is silly, but the beautiful blue shadows on the snow that fell here earlier this week have made me think of this character from my childhood. In a Little Golden Book called Walt Disney’s Bunny Book, Great Grandpa Bunny Bunny teaches all the little bunnies in Bunnyville to paint everything around them – the flowers, the autumn leaves, the butterflies, the ferns… and the winter shadows. The … Read More