Joli Livaudais Grisham

Shortly after graduating high school in Baton Rouge Louisiana, I joined the Army and served four years, including an 8-month stint in Saudi Arabia and Iraq during Desert Storm in 1990 and 1991. Although my service in the military was not always pleasant, I value those years for teaching me a great deal about discipline, overcoming discomfort, camaraderie and pride.

I earned a Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree in Experimental Psychology at the University of Texas at Arlington following my tour of military duty. Originally, I intended to continue on and earn a Ph.D. and become a research psychologist and university professor, but some soul-searching lead me to reach a different conclusion. I decided to follow the path of a photographer and artist instead.

I entered the realm of commercial photography, first as
a photographer’s assistant and then as photographer in the Dallas market. The technical expertise that is essential in commercial photography taught me control over my tools, and gave me a career that would also help support my artistic pursuits.

These days I find myself led to lovely Northeast Louisiana, following my heart and my handsome husband, Jason Grisham. In April of 2007, we celebrated the birth of our son Benjamin. The universal experience of having every priority turned upside down in favor of a child' sweet smile has given my art--and my life--a new and exciting turn.

Livaudais Studio

The historic downtown building that houses Livaudais Studio can be seen in some of the oldest photographs of Monroe. The loving restoration of 122 South Grand was a joint venture shared between Tony Rispoli and my multi-talented and multi-faceted husband, Jason, who labored long and hard to make our dream a reality.

After months of backbreaking work, we opened our doors in January of 2008, and haven’t looked back. Perhaps a different location would have been easier (and cheaper!), but from the original tin ceiling tiles to the historic pine floors, every detail of the studio tells a story to those who listen. We are proud and excited to be a part of the downtown renaissance in Monroe, and invite you to come and enjoy the artwork and the river view at Livaudais Studio.