In a World of Whimsy, Anything is Possible

by Patricia A. Hawkenson

Twenty-five years of teaching middle school went by in a blur, and when I retired, I turned my energies into my artwork. I began by joining a newly formed group of urban sketchers. We met in various locations around our community capturing scenes in our sketchbooks. I posted my work online, and it caught the eye of a restaurant owner who was interested in displaying it in his venue. However, they were done in simple graphite, and he wondered if I would recreate them in color, so I did. Those first five sketches became the beginning of a forty-image collection that I later published as an adult coloring book, Color Eau Claire. This book is in its second printing.

Alpaca Posers

After the success of that first book, I co-illustrated with my brother Jeffery Holvick forty scenes that showcased the northern Wisconsin area where we grew up in Color Chequamegon Bay. While these books were detailed and more appropriate for adults, the next book, Color the Chippewa Valley, was created with simple compositions and thicker lines with children in mind.

I was commissioned to do various local businesses in a larger format which led me to using a 24” x 36” size in my signature artwork. While I admire many artists who create realistic images with colored pencil, in my own work, I love the freedom of creating whimsical images that surprise or bring a smile. Each scene has just enough realism to let you know what subject I’m illustrating, but the fun comes with the surprise of an unexpected color, texture, or playful misdirection of items. I exaggerate proportions, natural colors, or logical reasoning regarding the scenes. It’s fun to add something that makes the viewer take a second look. A local roadside diner in front of purple pine trees, surrounded by antique vehicles covered in brightly colored polka dots? Of course. An eye-goggled rabbit riding a Vespa with flowers spewing from the tailpipes? Yes. Unlimited possibilities, and that opportunity is what brings the next piece of blank paper easily to the easel.

The Volume One Local Store

Each image takes about three weeks to complete. I spend at least a week planning and sketching out the initial scene, as once color is applied, it isn’t as easy to make corrections. Then another two weeks are filled with the application of color. I push myself to try out new techniques to build texture and contrast. I blend by adding layers and using a colorless blender, but I do not use any other solvents. I can spend three days just coloring in a one-color background. While other artists may lament the amount of time colored pencil work takes to complete, the longer I spend with an image, the more I get to enjoy the unique challenges it brings.

“I love the freedom of creating whimsical images
that surprise or bring a smile.“

Some people who view my large-scale work for the first time remark that I should be illustrating children’s books, but I have yet to sell one for display in a children’s room. Forty of my colorful urban sketches are hanging on permanent display in our area museum and others are displayed in local businesses where the buyers wanted a pop of color and a bold, confident statement that showcases their location. I enjoy the challenge of creating commissioned pieces that hold special significance to the buyer. Some private collectors own multiple pieces that they proudly display in their homes, often flanking a fireplace or in the entryway, proving we are never too old for joyful art in our lives.

Picnic Basket

Currently, I am working as an in-house artist at Decadent Gifts and Gallery in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. In this role visitors can watch me create my colored pencil images while they are on my easel. I have social media followers who enjoy giving me suggestions of objects to sketch, and throwing together their random ideas has created some of my favorite images.

I have displayed and sold my artwork in various midwestern Wisconsin locations, and although I am not much of a traveler myself, my artwork has found its way into a few art publications and onto five continents. Four of my recent images were chosen to be exhibited in Wuhan, China, but travel and shipping restrictions will be delaying that opportunity for the time being. My goal this calendar year is to obtain a one-person gallery exhibit in the Midwest that could feature up to thirty of my signature whimsical images.

I encourage people to follow me on Facebook and to consider the invitation to add a bit of whimsy to their artwork and their lives. Color yourself amazing!

Patricia A. Hawkenson:

Patricia was a National Board-Certified educator until retirement. She has illustrated three local coloring books, Color Eau Claire, Color the Chequamegon Bay, and Color the Chippewa Valley. Forty of her local images are in a permanent collection at the Chippewa Valley Museum. Her whimsical colored pencil artwork has been displayed in regional galleries, and her artwork has been published in Colored Pencil Magazine. She is an in-house artist at Decadent Gifts and Gallery in Eau Claire, WI.

Facebook: Patricia A. Hawkenson