A full-time artist specializing in watercolor paintings, Ms. Blain maintains a studio in Minnesota. Her work has received wide recognition; winning awards in many regional and national exhibitions and is part of numerous private and corporate collections. She is a signature member of the Midwest Watercolor Society. In addition to her painting, Judy conducts watercolor workshops throughout the country. Judy uses watercolor in a direct and expressive manner, with a mastery of the medium, which allows her to paint many different subjects. She continues to try new papers and approaches so that her work stays fresh and vital, but all her work has in common a love of rich color and strong values. For the past few years, Judy has been working on a series of exotic and colorful tropical themes, full of parrots and monkeys and blooming with orchids. She is now adding North American animals and birds to her repertoire. Born: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1937. Education: 1959 Western Reserve University, B.S., Art Education 1960 Western Reserve University, M.A., Art Education 1960 Cleveland Art Institute, Four-year Certificate Graduate Study at Carnegie-Mellon, and Pennsylvania State University Independent Study with nationally recognized watercolorists: Eliot O'Hara, Dong Kingman, Robert Wood, Morris Shubin, John Gaddis, Zoltan Szabo, and others. Publications: All In One Basket, Exhibition poster, Rivertown U.S.A. - 1982 Harvest - 1987 St. Paul Derby Poster - 1988 Summer Bounty - 1988 Set of Four Flowers - 1989 Hollyhocks, Ordway Music Theatre Program - Spring, 1989 Bathed In Sunlight (poster) - 1994 Strolling Through The Garden (poster) - 1994 Splash 3 - 1994 Strengthen Your Paintings with Dynamic Composition - 1995 Major Exhibitions: Courage Center Winter Art Show - 1987 First Prize & Best of Show *Midwest Watercolor Society Annual Exhibitions, 1977 - 1982, 1984 - 1986, 1987, 1989-1994 Award of Excellence - 1977, 1979, 1980, 1982 Award of Merit - 1984 Inter-North Foundation Award - 1981 Special Merit Award - 1986 Helga's Pallette Award - 1994 *Kentucky Watercolor Society Purchase Award - 1982 Robert Simmons Inc. Award - 1986 *Pittsburgh Watercolor Society's Annual Exhibitions Aqueous Open 1983 - Prize Northstar Watercolor Annual Shows, 1976 - 1986, 1989-1991 Award of Excellence - 1976, 1987 Award of Merit - 1978 Best of Show - 1979, 1980 *Rivertown U.S.A. - 1982 Painting chosen as the exhibition poster Western Colorado Watercolor Society Annual Exhibition - 1993 Collections (selected listing): Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing (3M) Pillsbury General Mills Pittsburgh Plate Glass Westinghouse Piper Jaffray & Hopwood Wausau Insurance Company Radisson Suite Beach Resort