April 2021 Showcase - Colored Pencil Artwork
Below, the three artists featured in the April 2021 issue of COLOR Magazine Showcase share the inspiration behind their artwork for our blog. Learn the story behind each of these lovely pieces of art.
Girl in a Blue Headscarf by Lydia Webb-Quayle
12 x 12 inches
Prismacolor on Canson beige toned paper.
(Author's own photo)
This piece, Girl in a Blue Headscarf, is my tribute to the artist Vermeer who has been a huge influence on me for as long as I have loved art. It's made all the more special for me as my granddaughter Ava, aged 5, kindly agreed to act as my model. I can think of no more beautiful model to use.
My favorite flower is the poppy, so in every way this piece is personal to me. As rheumatoid arthritis slowly steals the use of my hands, it's more and more important for me to capture the subjects closest to my heart. I'm hoping one day when I'm gone this piece will belong to Ava herself, and will be a memory of me for her to pass down to her own children.
About Lydia Webb-Quayle:
Lydia Webb-Quayle is a South Australian colored pencil artist. Born into a family of artists and musicians, she has regularly exhibited in country art shows and in dual exhibitions with her sister, artist Rachel Porter. More recently Webb-Quayle has had solo exhibitions in rural and central city locations.
See more at: https://www.facebook.com/Lydia-Webb-Quayle-Art-196866687359585
Viola Hands by Patsy Sirman
11 x 14 inches
Polychromos and Luminance colored pencils and PanPastel on Lightfast paper
(Photo from Pixabay.)
The reference photo caught my attention because it incorporated two elements from drawings I did early in life. As a child of 12 years, I drew a violin in pastels from a still life in my first grown-up art class. In college, I drew a Vietnamese soldier in graphite. His hands were a focal point. The lighting on the beautiful hands playing the viola in this drawing made it almost magical and transported me to sweet memories.
About Patsy Sirman:
Patsy retired in 2013 and moved to a farm in South Carolina where she pursued her enjoyment of artistic expression. First with photography, then with pet portraits in graphite. In 2019, she discovered colored pencils and was drawn to the intimacy of the medium. She loves capturing the details in color and challenging her skills to improve her work
See more at: www.facebook.com/patsysirman.art/
Staying Warm by Brenda Matsen
10.75 x 14.5 inches
Faber-Castell Polychromos, Caran d'Ache Luminace, Derwent Lightfast, Derwent Drawing and Caran d'Ache Pablos on Stonehenge.
(Artist's own photo)
Staying Warm was a created from a photo taken on a frosty winter’s morning. The sun was rising higher in the sky and everything around me was slowly becoming more golden as the rays of sunshine reached and melted the frost. On this particular morning I was searching for ideas for my next colored pencil project. While walking with my husband, he happened to turn around at the right time and in the right lighting and to his surprise... his picture became my new project!
I was drawn to this picture for several reasons. I liked how the sun lit up the top of my husband’s hat and shoulders while the trees behind were still in the shadow of the forest. I felt the weathered hat with metal grommets was interesting all on its own and would have made a great stand-alone drawing. I wanted to capture my husband’s cheerful expression despite how cold he looked (and was), as I really enjoy working on pieces that have a positive vibe. I knew his beard would be a challenge for me as I had not rendered facial hair previously but each piece of artwork brings new learnings and I was excited for this opportunity. I also loved that it was a picture of my husband as he encouraged me to return to art after many years away from it and continues to be my biggest cheerleader.
“Staying Warm” is extra special to me as it is the first artwork I have ever entered into an exhibition. I was very honored learn that "Staying Warm" was juried into the 28th Annual Colored Pencil Society of America’s International Exhibition.
About Brenda Matsen:
Brenda Matsen is a self-taught artist living on Vancouver Island in Canada. She returned to art in 2018 and enjoys working in a variety of mediums, especially colored pencil and pastel. She is a member of the Colored Pencil Society of America. Brenda has had both colored pencil and pastel pieces juried into exhibitions.
See more at: http://brendamatsenartist.com/
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