Using pastels, Lee McVey creates landscapes people feel they can walk right into. Her love of nature began when she was a young girl walking in the woods with her grandparents. Those experiences have inspired Lee to focus on studio and plein air landscape painting.

She is a signature member of Pastel Society of America, Plein Air Painters of New Mexico, Pastel Painters Society of Cape Cod, and Sierra Pastel Society. Lee is also a member of National Association of Women Artists, American Academy of Women Artists, and Pastel Society of New Mexico. Her pastels have been featured in full-length articles in the magazines American Artist and International Artist. Lee's work is featured in the books The Jack Richeson Annual: The Plein Air New Mexico Year  and How Did You Paint That? 100 Ways to Paint the Landscape. In 2006 and 2007, Lee co-organized and co-curated the annual invitational landscape painting exhibit, Open Space: A View with Room, for Albuquerque's Open Space Visitor Center.

In 2003, Lee retired from teaching elementary art to devote more time to her art career. Along with school teaching, she taught pastel classes at Kirkland Art Center in Clinton, NY and Cooperstown Art Association in Cooperstown, NY. Lee is now a resident of Albuqueque, NM. She now enjoys painting and teaching pastel as a full time artist.