Judy Larson
Judy Larson always knew she was going to be an artist. She was surrounded by them as a child, and was particularly inspired by her father, Clyde Provonsha, a professional illustrator.
The primary focus of her paintings is the animal, with the horse and wolf as recurring subjects.
Judy Larson always knew she was going to be an artist. She was surrounded by them as a child, and was particularly inspired by her father, Clyde Provonsha, a professional illustrator best known for his religious and commercial art. Judy received a Bachelor of Science degree in Commercial Art from Pacific Union College in Northern California, then spent the next 17 years as a commercial artist, illustrator and art director. In 1988, influenced by her love of nature and animals, Judy devoted her time to wildlife art. The primary focus in each of her paintings is the animal, with the horse and wolf as recurring subjects. Often, Judy pays homage to Native Americans, their cultures, their stories and legends, through the hidden elements in her work.
Her unique approach to her work is through the use of scratch board-a technique that can render magnificent detail but one requiring infinite patience. Scratch board, an old, but little used medium, consists of a smooth, thin surface of hardened China clay applied to a board. The subject is then painted solidly with black India ink to create a silhouette. Now the exacting work begins, engraving the image into the surface of the artwork. While many artists use steel nibs or engraving tools, Judy prefers to work with X-Acto blades, changing them every few minutes to produce as fine a line as possible. Once the subject has been totally scratched, it is a finished black and white illustration, ready for the artist to add color. The methods of adding color are diverse. Judy prefers a combination of airbrush, gouache or acrylics for finishing, with frequent re-scratching for detail. Scratch board is a demanding medium, one that Judy has used masterfully in developing her unique approach to wildlife art.
For Judy Larson, whose underlying message is always passionately ecological, her medium of scratchboard, as well as her “The Art of Concealment ®,” allows her “to take the viewer with me.” Explains Judy, “My desire is to engage viewers on three levels: first, by revealing the beauty of animals through intricate detail; second, by concealing a hidden image that draws the viewer to examine the painting more closely and through which I can tell a story; and third, by promoting a deeper awareness of the environment on a level that will hopefully have an impact.”
Judy Larson always knew she was going to be an artist. She was surrounded by them as a child, and was particularly inspired by her father, Clyde Provonsha, a professional illustrator best known for his religious and commercial art. Judy received a Bachelor of Science degree in Commercial Art from Pacific Union College in Northern California, then spent the next 17 years as a commercial artist, illustrator and art director. In 1988, influenced by her love of nature and animals, Judy devoted her time to wildlife art. The primary focus in each of her paintings is the animal, with the horse and wolf as recurring subjects. Often, Judy pays homage to Native Americans, their cultures, their stories and legends, through the hidden elements in her work.
Her unique approach to her work is through the use of scratch board-a technique that can render magnificent detail but one requiring infinite patience. Scratch board, an old, but little used medium, consists of a smooth, thin surface of hardened China clay applied to a board. The subject is then painted solidly with black India ink to create a silhouette. Now the exacting work begins, engraving the image into the surface of the artwork. While many artists use steel nibs or engraving tools, Judy prefers to work with X-Acto blades, changing them every few minutes to produce as fine a line as possible. Once the subject has been totally scratched, it is a finished black and white illustration, ready for the artist to add color. The methods of adding color are diverse. Judy prefers a combination of airbrush, gouache or acrylics for finishing, with frequent re-scratching for detail. Scratch board is a demanding medium, one that Judy has used masterfully in developing her unique approach to wildlife art.
For Judy Larson, whose underlying message is always passionately ecological, her medium of scratchboard, as well as her “The Art of Concealment ®,” allows her “to take the viewer with me.” Explains Judy, “My desire is to engage viewers on three levels: first, by revealing the beauty of animals through intricate detail; second, by concealing a hidden image that draws the viewer to examine the painting more closely and through which I can tell a story; and third, by promoting a deeper awareness of the environment on a level that will hopefully have an impact.”