Judy Lavoie

I’ve just added a rabbit to my list of scratchboard subjects. The soft and mottled fur screamed to be scratched and creating this 7” x 5” panel was great fun. Ampersand Art’s Scratchbord™ is an ideal surface for realistic artwork of animals and birds, allowing textures and details to be beautifully rendered. My very talented artist friend Laurie asked me to create a scratchboard painting for her from a photo she took while visiting Australia. Laurie is an award-winning painter, … Read More

This is the first of two commissions which have occupied all my painting hours recently. Normally I would not take on a project like this, since human faces are always a struggle for me. Maybe it’s just a mental block, but faces are my biggest challenge. In this case, it was hard to say no. The couple who asked me to paint this scene with their three grandchildren have been great supporters of my art, buying several original paintings over … Read More

You might say I added a pelican feather! “Breeding Plumage,” which I created on scratchboard and colored with inks, has won an award. It was just selected for an “Award of Merit” in the current Arts in the Airport exhibition at McGhee-Tyson Airport in Knoxville, TN. Juror Terri Jordan chose 3 winners from the 44 artworks in the show, awarding “Best of Show” plus two equal “Juror Citations – Awards of Merit.” This show is open to all types of … Read More

My scratchboard “Perfectionist” was just awarded “Award of Excellence” in the Open Division of the International Society of Artists (ISSA) annual exhibition. I was able to watch a video of last weekend’s award ceremony in Bradenton, FL, on the group’s private Facebook page and see photos of the unbelievable artwork of over 100 scratchboard fine artists from eight countries. My award is equivalent to 4th prize, as they gave a gold, silver, and bronze, followed by four equal Awards of … Read More

Reserve your copies of my 2023 Fine Art Calendar, now being printed. Each month features one or more of my paintings, illustrating a variety of subjects, media and techniques. The calendar is 8.5” wide and ready to hang. Buy it for gift-giving or to treat yourself! I’ve held the price at $15. This year I switched from spiral binding to stitching on the fold, making mailing easier and less expensive (not much else is cheaper this year!). If you’d like … Read More

“The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook.” – William James I liked the above quote and it inspired the title for my newest painting “Wise Eyes.” Unintentionally, it seems I am in a ‘bird’ phase. My three most recent scratchboard paintings have been a black swan, a brown pelican, and this northern whitefaced owl. Feathers can be beautifully rendered on black scratchboards, as can fur and other textures. I recently taught a class on … Read More

Today I learned that my scratchboard “Breeding Plumage” has been chosen for the next 6-month exhibition of Art in the Airport in Knoxville TN. It is a show open to all media, and mine is one of 44 chosen from a total of 566 images submitted by 147 artists. The new exhibit will run from October 26, 2022 to April 2023. But wait, there’s more…. I also heard today that my watercolor painting “The Bearded Fiddler,” juried into the 2022 … Read More

I’m delighted to announce that my artwork has just been juried into 2 upcoming annual exhibitions! I am amazed to have two of my  scratchboards chosen for the highly competitive 11th Annual Exhibition of the International Scratchboard Society, to be held in December 2022 in Florida. Also, for the fifth consecutive year, my art will be included in the 54th Annual Open Show of the Oak Ridge (Tennessee) Art Center, held during October and November 2022. Here are the details … Read More

I’ve just been notified that all three of my entries have been juried into an upcoming art show. This is an open show, which means any art media could be submitted. The venue, located in downtown Etowah, Tennessee, is a relatively small gallery space, so I decided to enter small pieces. I also chose my three entries, shown below, specifically with subjects that reflect the East Tennessee region, my home turf. I am constantly inspired by my own surroundings! My … Read More

Months ago I set my sights on entering the 2022 International Society of Scratchboard Artists (ISSA) annual exhibition, which will be held in Florida this year. I’ve been exploring new techniques for scratchboard and honing my skills with what has become a favorite media. For this stiff competition, I really wanted to push the envelop, with a large and very detailed artwork. A new challenge! THE INSPIRATION Several times this summer Rick and I have enjoyed boating with good friends … Read More