June 2025 Showcase - Colored Pencil Artwork
The three artists featured in the June 2025 issue of COLOR Magazine Showcase share the stories behind their beautiful artwork here in our blog.
Story Time by Caryn Coville
12 x 12 inches
Luminance, Polychromos, Prismacolor, and Derwent Lightfast colored pencils on Stonehenge. (Artist’s own photo reference.)
I wanted to do a drawing that included one of the handmade quilts that my mother made for my children. I decided to include it in a still life using teddy bears. The large striped bear was a baby gift to one of my sons and the small beige bear was my younger son’s bear, Teddy. I got the third bear at a Mets game (I changed his bowtie pattern). After setting up a still life and taking multiple photos, I decided on this image as my reference photo. All the different textures in my piece were challenging, but that made it more interesting to work on.
I recently became a grandmother, and my granddaughter now has two of the bears in her bedroom. It’s fun knowing a second generation will enjoy them. I hope my piece brings back happy memories and a smile to the viewer.
About Caryn Coville:
Caryn is a signature member (CPSA, CPX) of the CPSA, a UKCPSO signature member of the UKCPS, and a juried member of the AAPL, IGOR, CLWAC and the Natl Art League. Her award-winning work has been shown in solo gallery exhibits, and she has participated in national and international juried shows. In addition to colored pencils, Caryn enjoys sumi-e and alcohol inks.
See more at www.caryncoville.com
Classics Three by George Britnell Murphy
14 x 20 inches
Prismacolor colored pencils on Stonehenge. (Artist’s own photo reference.)
When I composed the picture, I added the second car and the house to give it the feeling of the era of the cars: the 1930s. The picture depicts two classic Packard automobiles with references from some pictures I had taken at a classic car show. My favorite art interests have always been automobiles and machinery of some sort, old farm equipment, aircraft, and engine studies. This picture encompasses so many elements, from the detailing of the wheels, the reflections on the body of the car, the grass and shadows. The house, originally the Coleman House in Swainsboro, Georgia, was built by a family who made their living in the lumber industry. After the older generations passed on the younger family members had no interest in the house so it was sold and became a mortuary. It stayed that way for many years and then fell into disrepair. My brother-in-law traveled a lot for his business and when he found the house he fell in love with the style and architecture, so he purchased it. After three years of modernization, which included finishing the third floor, it was opened to the public as a bed and breakfast. It operated successfully until the economy took a downturn and the property was sold.
About George Britnell:
George has been an artist all of his life. From his early years he was always sketching and drawing. He had two years of art classes in high school but is mostly self-taught. He saw some colored pencil work and after buying books on the subject decided that this would be his medium of choice.
Day's End by Juliet Bradford
22 x 30 inches
Pablo, Luminance, Derwent Drawing, Polychromos and Museum Aquarelle colored pencils on Stonehenge. (Photo reference from www.sarahbradfordphotography.com. Used with permission.)
This piece was quite different from my regular artwork of wildlife, but I wanted to produce something more personal that resonated with me. This image portrays my farming background and part of my daily life, symbolizing my love of a rural lifestyle with horses. Always in my boots and hat, either working on the land or with my horse, my boots and hat are removed at the end of each day.
I was accepted to exhibit in a regional art show and had seen a free reference hat and boot image, but it wasn’t personal to me; I just couldn’t connect with it. Luckily, my daughter is a photographer, and I explained that I had in my mind a dramatic effect, with lighting on the subject in a low-light situation.
After creating the image, I wanted to find a deep black surface and tried Legion Stonehenge 250gsm, which has a lovely deep black on the smoother side. I was pleased how it allowed layering of colored pencils with a light pressure.
I started with the hat, using small circular strokes and used the surface’s texture to help create the look of the felt material. Using the same technique as with animals, I used many colors and layers on the leather and accentuated the highlighted areas.
I enjoyed drawing the details, including the plaited hat band and the stitchwork of the boots. I used the indenting method to create and color each individual stitch, which was quite relaxing and satisfying. The colors in the boots’ details also added more interest and a sense of realism. I was so pleased with the result of finally being able to draw larger artworks on a black background. I have found another new love in my artistic journey and will be drawing more equine-themed pieces, something which suits me personally and brings me so much joy. I am now onto my fourth drawing on this surface — a newfound love!
About Juliet Bradford:
In 2023, after an admin career for more than 40 years, Juliet was encouraged to take up her love of drawing to immortalize her beloved Cavoodle, Goldie. Juliet has a deep appreciation of all animals and nature, having grown up on a farm and now living rurally. Juliet has recently expanded her skills to include a passion for equines. Find her on Facebook at Art by Juliet.
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