July 2020 Showcase - Colored Pencil Artwork
The three artists featured in the July 2020 issue of COLOR Magazine Showcase submitted stories about their artwork for our blog. Read below about their inspiration for each of these beautiful works of art.
Enchantment by Cherry Ferris
13.75" x 17.75"
Colored pencils with mixed media and gold and silver leaf on PastelMat
(Photo by Lisa Ann Watkins, used with permission)
In Early 2020 the super talented colored pencil artist Lisa Ann Watkins put out a call for entries for her 6th Patreon online exhibition. I was tempted to enter but had a lot of outstanding work to complete for some imposed deadlines which were looming... and then the coronavirus rocked the world and everything changed.
It was the lockdown and the re-evaluation of everything that I knew to be normal that inspired me to create piece called "Enchantment," and the push was Lisa's exhibition. When the world seems to be going crazy and you don’t know what to do, just slow down, take a deep breath and find your center. Look for the magic in the simple things. This little chap can see the wonder that is all around us ... can you?
About Cherry Ferris:
Cherry is a self-taught artist with a love all mediums, however she's always drawn back to colored pencils. Those jewel-like barrels of timeless colors and dynamic bright rainbow shades that jostle for attention, who could resist? She loves to marry their luminous transparency with iridescent golds and silvers to create a magic of their own.
See more at: facebook.com/Fairiewood-Art-238439039613696/
1957 Chevrolet Nomad by David McGee
18" x 12"
Prismacolor Premiere Colored Pencil, Lux Archival Professional Sanded Art Paper
(Artist's own photo)
I am a realist artist. I love the details of things; the details that most people fail to fully observe. The chrome, paint, and headlamp of this ‘57 Nomad called out to me. It almost has a “personality” of its own. The reflected light and the mirror effect of the chrome just drew me in. The colors and effects that can be found in chrome is just amazing. Challenging, but amazing and a joy to portray in one's art. You not only have to get the form of the object correct, but also the colors and what is being reflected in the chrome. A shape or color that is reflected onto, say, the bumper will also be reflected in the chrome pieces that are nearby, so it can be like a prism effect at times. I believe that art can be not only just beautiful but educational at the same time. This piece is both intriguing and takes us on a ride down Memory Road to a carefree and simpler time for some, while for others it educates them on a time and style almost forgotten about.
About David McGee:
David McGee is a self-taught artist since grade school. He has been producing art in colored pencil for six years now. David first learned to draw by tracing his father’s drawings. David is a United States Marine, having earned the rank of sergeant, hence the name of his art studio: Devil Dog Art.
See more at: www.devildogart.art/
Urban Tranquility by ChuChu Cao
11" x 15.5"
Colored pencil on hot pressed watercolor paper
(Artist's own photo)
This is the first self-portrait I have ever done! As a portrait artist and an early childhood teacher, I enjoy painting young children. However a lot of friends and family have asked me to do a self-portrait. I looked through many photos and finally decided on this one, which was taken in Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne almost a year ago. There is nothing more therapeutic, apart from the process of creating art itself, than being surrounded by beautiful plants and breathtaking landscapes. I remember feeling contented that morning, not a single worry on my mind. I want to look more into how people are connected to and affected by their environment and find a way to show the audience the connection in my drawings. This self-portrait was to further explore the topic as well as to challenge myself to render intricate detail and create depth in the background.
About ChuChu Cao:
ChuChu is a pencil artist and a full-time early childhood teacher based in Sydney. ChuChu was born in China and went to art school for four years as a teenager. She has now worked with colored pencil for more than two years and continues to refine her craft and skill in photorealism.
See more at: cucuclaire.wixsite.com/chuchuart
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