October 2025 Showcase - Colored Pencil Artwork
The three artists featured in the October 2025 issue of COLOR Magazine Showcase share the stories behind their beautiful artwork here in our blog.
Sweet Surender by Carla Jane
11 x 15 inches
Luminance, Derwent Lightfast, Holbein and Polychromos on Saunders Waterford HP High White paper. (Photo from Pixabay.)
This piece evokes so much emotion both from animal and human. There seemed such a connection of love and trust from both, and I just wanted to bring it to life with the extra vibrancy and lifelike quality through my art.
Horses need to build trust before they ever consider letting go and closing their eyes on a human like this. It provokes so much feeling for the viewer, and you can just feel the warmth from it on this cold wet evening as the sun was beginning to set, and it was time to say goodnight.
I had been afraid to attempt to draw horses in the past but about 14 months ago I was commissioned to draw one, and even though I did not want to do it, I thought I would push and challenge myself. I enjoyed it so much that I decided I would do a calendar for next year and haven’t stopped drawing them since. They are now my new favorite thing to draw. So far this is my absolute favorite piece I have created.
About Carla Jane:
Carla has always had a passion to create. She has spent her whole life perfecting her skill with different mediums and techniques and trying to create lifelike pieces of art. She focuses on realism, with an eye for attention to detail. She puts her heart and soul into every piece, filling it with such emotion, movement and vibrancy.
See more at www.carlajaneart.com
Short Run to Stump Creek by Richard Boyd
19 x 13 inches
Caran d'Ache Museum, Stabilo Aquarellable and other water-soluble pencils on Canson Mi-Teintes Tobacco paper. (Artist's own photo reference.)
This award-winning colored pencil drawing on Canson Mi-Teintes Tobacco paper was the 2018 Huntington Beach Open Show Dvorman Family Best of Show. It is drawn with Caran d'Ache Museum, Stabilo Aquarellable, and other water-soluble pencils. It’s rendered in honor of Buck Draney, a wrangler I met while in Wyoming. Standing in the bright sunlight in front of a horse, he’s waiting for the approaching stagecoach to arrive. He’s a saddle maker by trade and it was his artful, confident and gentle care of the ranch horses that I admired. Stump Creek is the name of his Wyoming custom saddle company. The stagecoach is pulled by only two horses, so it’s on a short run. It’s a prop from the Old Tucson movie location I visited on vacation.
About Richard Boyd:
Richard is a retired industrial designer and journalist who is enamored with western heritage themes and portraits. His renderings are a labor of love influenced by his lifelong connection to the Southwest. He is an award-winning member of the Colored Pencil Society of America, CPSA Chapter #214, and the Huntington Beach Art League.
See more at www.richboydart.com
Day Dreamer #3 by Surita Goosen
31.5 x 23.6 inches
Polychromos colored pencils on Arches Aqua, Cold Press paper. (Artist’s own photo reference.)
This drawing was inspired by a candid moment of my niece during a visit to the aquarium. She stood still with her little yellow duck backpack, utterly captivated by the fish swimming behind the glass.
That moment of wonder sparked the idea for this piece where imagination blurs the boundary between reality and dreams. The oversized goldfish, bright umbrella and lush leaves reflect the vivid world I imagined through her eyes.
It’s a celebration of childhood curiosity, and how a simple encounter with nature can awaken a deep sense of awe and storytelling.
The most special part of creating this drawing was the feeling it gave me — like stepping back into childhood, when dreaming of the impossible felt completely natural.
About Surita Goosen:
Surita’s creative journey began with a love for drawing and storytelling, which naturally evolved into her current artistic style — inspired by beauty of everyday life, infused with a touch of imagination. The end goal is to create vibrant and expressive pieces that evoke emotion and spark curiosity while embracing structured chaos.
See more at www.instagram.com/suritagoosenart
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