Joyce Lee

1950-2011

In Joyce's words: “I can remember riding on horseback as a small child and marveling at the green of the spring grass and the smell of wet sage as my horse trotted along, making me think this must be as close to heaven as a person would want to get. A very memorable summer for me was when I worked with my Dad on a ranch that was breeding 1400 head of cows. We were required to be riding by daylight, gathering and sorting cattle. We had a small break in the middle of the day followed by more gathering and sorting until dark. It was a pretty saturating experience, both in terms of being on the land and being surrounded with horses, cows and cowhands. I feel very fortunate that I’m a western artist who has done more than just visit a ranch to take some photos of cowboys.”

Showing an early interest in drawing and painting, Joyce spent many of her younger years dabbling in the arts. She was influenced by Orren Mixer and CW Anderson, who wrote and illustrated the "Billy and Blaze" series. With encouragement and support from her family, she continued to develop her talent by attending workshops with well-known painters Matt Smith and Ned Jacob. In 1981, she attended Eastern Montana College and studied under Ben Steele, which served to further polish her talents and launch her career in the arts. Joyce's work has been featured in several solo shows in prestigious western art galleries and has exhibited in the CM Russell Auction in Great Falls, MT, the Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale in Cody, Wy, the Cowgirl Up Annual Show and Sale in Wickenburg, AZ, and the Coors National Western Show in Denver, Co. Joyce's paintings of ranch scenes, horses, and landscapes can be found in art collections across the United States.

The shining spirit of our friend and fellow artist, Joyce Lee, departed from this world on March 25, 2011, but memories of her will live forever in our hearts and in the legacy of her paintings.