Beginner Honorable Mentions | 27th Annual Member Show
Every drawing has a story, and these three are a lovely reminder of how much there is to celebrate when artists begin exploring colored pencil. We're delighted to spotlight Diane Kirby, Boni Meddock, and Lauren Bean, the Beginner category honorable mentions in our 27th Annual COLOR Magazine Member Show. Here's a closer look at their artwork and the experiences that inspired it.
Stay tuned in the coming weeks as we will highlight more honorable mentions here on the blog. Check out the October 2026 issue of COLOR Magazine for more featured winners.
Diane Kirby: Luna
From Diane: This piece is on wine colour Clairefontaine pastelmat and the image measures 8” x 12”. It was done with a mixture of Polychromos, Luminance and Pablo pencils with a touch of (a happy accident ‘pearl’) white pan pastel as an underlayer on her belly. This piece was my second solo drawing after starting out in January 2025. It was a gift to my daughter of her cat for her wedding. It took me around 30 hours (probably more!) and many many layers.
Curious about the surface Diane used? Explore our guide to drawing on Pastelmat.
Boni Meddock: Colorado Squinty
From Boni: My husband and I are fortunate to have a summer cabin in the beautiful Quartz Creek Valley in Colorado. We are frequently visited by a variety of wildlife. Early one afternoon this little fox appeared. We were surprised to see him out & about in the daytime. Friends & I were able to get several photos before he left. The photo I chose as a reference had just the right light & detail. I really liked his squinty expression too. It made me wonder what he was watching. I like photos that engage the viewer in some way. This one seemed to do that. I chose to use drafting film for this drawing. It is a surface I am still learning about. Pan pastels were used for the background area. I applied them to the front & back of the surface to create softness. I learn so much from each drawing I do. Everyone is a new adventure!
Boni chose drafting film, a surface she's still getting to know that's perfect for beginners because you can easily erase any mistakes! If you'd like to explore this surface yourself, take a look at our guide to colored pencil on drafting film.
Lauren Bean: Gems of the Sea
From Lauren: By chance I happened to find a group of color pencil artists. I had no experience at all but my world opened up as I learned to explore all the possibilities of colored pencil. Its meditative effect, the excitement when you see your project come to life, the satisfaction that this is something you created.
Lauren's experience is a lovely reminder of what can happen when curiosity meets encouragement. If you're ready to begin your own colored pencil adventure, explore our beginner colored pencil tutorials.
See the Full 27th Annual Member Show
Congratulations to Diane, Boni, and Lauren! Thank you for sharing your artwork and the stories behind it with our colored pencil community.
There's plenty more to discover. Visit the 27th Annual COLOR Magazine Member Show to see the other winners, browse all the entries, and read juror Christina (Chris) Bond's comments on the award-winning artwork and honorable mentions.