January 2023 Showcase - Colored Pencil Artwork
The three artists featured in the January 2023 issue of COLOR Magazine Showcase – Caroline Arnott, Lesley Woodhouse, and Richard Klekociuk – share the stories behind their beautiful artwork here in our blog.
Fox Cubs Caroline Arnott
11 x 14 inches
Faber-Castell Polychromos and Caran d’Ache Luminance pencils on Fabriano Artistico 300GSM HP paper
(Photo by Daniel Cadieux Photography. Used with permission)
This wildlife portrait of two fox cubs is something different from my usual pet portrait commissions. It was refreshing to use some of the vibrant colors that I rarely get a chance to use. They remind me of when the cold weather finally ends in the UK and life starts again!
I love how one has blue eyes and his brother has green eyes; this is one of the things that attracted me to using the photo as a reference. I enjoyed working with no deadlines on this piece and enjoying the different stages of the creative process. When I’m drawing, I work best when I’m listening to music or a podcast with a cup of tea and a whole packet of biscuits; what more could a woman want?
About Caroline Arnott:
Caroline is a colored pencil pet and wildlife artist from East Yorkshire, UK. She is self-taught with more than 15 years’ experience. Caroline uses her artwork as a form of meditation; she loves learning new techniques and trying different supplies. She is planning a big cat colored pencil collection and is working on two tigers at the moment
See more at: www.carolinearnottart.co.uk and facebook.com/carolinearnottart
Sweet Peas by Lesley Woodhouse
12 x 11 inches
Derwent, Caran d'Ache, Faber-Castell Polychromos and Prismacolor pencils on Daler Rowney Ingres pastel paper.
(Artist's own photo)
I’m an artist who loves using colored pencils for their vibrancy and depth of color. I started 2022 with a project in mind to draw a plant or flower for each month of the year. I wanted to depict the plants that I love to see as the year progresses in bold, vivid images.
Arriving at August, I found a photo of some sweet peas in a vase that I thought made a pleasing composition. They were from my garden on the rare occasion I was able to grow them successfully. They are among my favorite flowers with their evocative scent. I knew their colors would lend themselves perfectly to the use of colored pencils and my style of drawing. The pottery vase was made using the Raku technique and is a form that I love and will buy if I have the opportunity.
Having drawn the image onto the support, I spent many hours slowly building up the colors of each flower, layer upon layer, thus achieving the final result and my botanical artwork for August.
About Lesley Woodhouse:
Lesley Woodhouse lives in North Yorkshire, GB and enjoys creating detailed artwork using colored pencils. She achieved Silver Signature status with the UKCPS in 2022 and when not drawing, she loves swimming indoors and outdoors and growing vegetables.
See more at: lesleywoodhouse.co.uk
Turners Beach Stones by Richard Klekociuk
23.5 x 15.5 inches
Faber-Castell Polychromos and Prismacolor Verithin colored pencils on Cason Mi Teintes paper.
(Artist's own photo)
I’m a keen collector of stones, especially those from beaches in Tasmania, Australia's island state, where I live. I find them fascinating not only in their variety, but I often ponder on their history. Where did they come from? How did they get here?
The impact of light and shadow enhances their beauty and mystery. Textures and patterns add character and often provide me with inspiration for still life and abstract compositions.
This drawing was to some degree inspired by Britain’s Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain. It’s a group of stones surrounding (or acknowledging) one of my favorite stones. I created this still life in my backyard on a sunny day to make the most of light and shadow to add a more 3-D feel to the subject and give the look of “pick me up and take me home.”
Besides dealing with the light, I’m also aware of the need to acknowledge the surface texture of each object. The more attentive to detail one is, the more believable the objects become. Sometimes compositions don’t need to be complicated, but in saying that, it doesn’t mean that they require any less planning.
About Richard Klekociuk:
Richard lives in Tasmania, Australia and has been a practicing artist and teacher for more than 50 years. He has worked in a variety of art mediums, but colored pencil is and has been his preference since 1986. His work is both realistic and abstract and is strongly influenced by the natural environment.
See more at: www.RichardKlekociuk.com and facebook.com/artkleko
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