October 2021 Showcase - Colored Pencil Artwork
The three artists below, featured in the October 2021 issue of COLOR Magazine Showcase, each share the inspiration behind their lovely artwork here in our blog.
Top of the Trail by Teresa Pennington
15 x 20 inches
Colored pencil on 140lb hot press paper
(Artist's own photo)
This colored pencil drawing is a depiction of the top of the trail at an overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina called Water Rock Knob. This overlook is often hidden in the clouds so finding it clear is rare. I have hiked it many times in all seasons but autumn is by far my favorite. You can see three states from this vantage point. It faces west and is a beautiful place to watch the sunset.
Colored pencil is the perfect medium for rendering trees, rocks, and colorful skies in great detail. Layering color is essential when doing photorealism. I take lots of photographs to work from because it is too time-consuming to work on location.
About Teresa Pennington:
Teresa is a self-taught colored pencil artist. She has 36 years of experience with Prismacolor pencils. She is a purest, using colored pencils only on watercolor papers. She specializes in art of the Smoky Mountains, the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC. Teresa just celebrated 35 years in business in her gallery in Waynesville.
See more at: www.tpennington.com/
Poodle, Self-portrait by Agnieszka Przyborowski
18 x 24 inches
Faber Castell Polychromos and Caran d'Ache Luminance colored pencils on white Stonehenge paper
(Artist's own photo)
This artwork was inspired by bullying that I experienced in the past. I was bullied for number of reasons like my hair, short stature, last name or for defending a friend. This is an example of being ridiculed for the way I looked. Bullying in today's world is a lot worse and I wanted to bring awareness to this behavior and how it can negatively affect someone for a long time. I hope some people viewing this artwork can understand the emotion I was trying to portray and maybe even sympathize with the artist.
Many of my self-portraits focus on my inner being rather than the outside look. I like to tell a story of my struggles using images, as I am not strong with words and because art is another way of communicating.
About Agnieszka Przyborowski:
Agnieszka has been drawing since she can remember; art was always her go-to activity. She is originally from Poland, came to USA in 1989, finished high school, and attended College for Creative Studies majoring in illustration. She is married and a mom of two grown children.
See more at: facebook.com/agnieszkasart
16 x 20 inches
Colored pencil on Pastelmat
(Photo by Laura Bellochi, used with permission)
This piece is titled "Rest Easy", portraying a client's beloved golden retriever, Jubilee. They lost her last year unexpectedly at just 10 years of age. Jubilee was quite energetic, as she was still competing and winning awards in dock diving at age nine. As you can see, she wasn't even yet white in the face at 10 - she still had a lot of life to live.
I love the contrast of the teal blanket and her rich gold and orange hues and the way the light seemingly casts an aura over her, revealing the inner glow of her spirit; the portrait conveys so much peace and contentment. Laura told me, "Ya know, some dogs really touch deeply into your heart. She was that dog for me."
About Susan Wehrman:
Susan’s lifelong passion has been for animals: our pets, the birds that visit our feeders, and all wildlife that surrounds us. Consequently, she specializes in pet and nature portraits, and her artwork represents the special bond we share with the animals that have etched special places in our hearts.
See more at: www.tippany.com/
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