Jude Dayton

            Jude Dayton is an artist who has worked in pen-and-ink, watercolor and acrylic on both paper and canvas. A self-taught artist, Jude spent many years studying and observing the art of other cultures, especially European art by the Impressionist masters. Early in her career, Jude focused on commissions for home portraits. She also designed and marketed holiday greeting cards with scenes of Annapolis, Baltimore, Washington, DC, Richmond and Philadelphia. Her greeting cards were sold at major stores including Woodward & Lothrop, Wanamakers, Strawbridge & Clothier, Hallmark and MJ Design as well as at smaller outlets.

            While Jude was quite successful producing and marketing greeting cards, as well as selling watercolor landscapes, she began to experiment with acrylic paints and to work on canvas. Her interest had broadened to the Cro-Magnon art found in caves in Europe that she visited several times. Jude created a body of work inspired by these stone-age paintings dating from 30,000 to 10,000 years before our time. In May 2002, Jude had a major one-person show at the French Embassy where she displayed about 50 paintings with major emphasis on cave art. In November 2002, Jude also had a one-person showing of her cave art at the Alliance Francaise de Washington, DC.

            Jude has lectured on cave art to University of Maryland art history classes and to local art groups. She also appeared on the Maryland Public Television show "Artists on Display" hosted by Nancy Ciccone as well as on public television shows in the Phoenix and Tucson areas.  Her cave art designs were reproduced to be put on custom suede jackets and sold in western stores. She also had a business with her daughter making silk pillows, totes and wall hangings with her art.

            Jude has had studios in Annapolis and in Baltimore where her cave paintings and other works were viewed and offered for sale. In the past, she has had several one- and two-person shows in the Annapolis, Baltimore and Tucson areas. Jude is past Chair of the Visual Arts Committee and past member of the Board of Directors for First Night Annapolis. Her poster designs for First Night Annapolis were widely acclaimed and won an international award.

            At present, Jude has rekindled her interest in watercolor and is becoming active in watercolor groups in the Shenandoah Valley area.