September 2025 Showcase - Colored Pencil Artwork
The three artists featured in the September 2025 issue of COLOR Magazine Showcase share the stories behind their beautiful artwork here in our blog.
Gone to Ground by Cathy Choyce
12 x 18 inches
Polychromos, Luminance, Pablos and Derwent Lightfast colored pencils on Clairefontaine Pastelmat. (Photo by Tiffany Dillon Keen. Used with permission.)
It’s a cool, crisp autumn day, and many riders mounted on horses wait for the Huntsman to cast the hounds in search of scent. After a few minutes of anticipation, one hound’s voice rings out like a bell and the rest of the pack honors and the chase is on. Over hill and dale, the riders follow the Huntsman and the pack as the excitement builds. But the wily fox is prepared and after a merry chase, it ducks down into one of its many escape dens and the hounds all circle the hole. The Huntsman arrives, followed by the field of riders and blows the melody of Gone To Ground on his horn.
I have been a fan of sporting art for many years and capturing such intimate moments has always been a challenge and an honor. The many wonderful textures to replicate in this piece was a huge endeavor, yet filled with memories of riding to hounds in my earlier years.
About Cathy Choyce:
Cathy Choyce’s work in colored pencils in the past eight years has been noted for its realism, attention to detail and emotional impact. Her work has been awarded many gallery exhibit Best in Shows, an equine magazine cover, and she has been chosen as the Equine Affair Exhibition 2025 featured artist.
See more at www.cathychoyce.com
The Lookout by Rowan Hunkin
27.6 x 19.7 inches
Polychromos and Luminance colored pencils on Fabriano hot press satin 600g watercolor paper. (Photo by Anthony Goldman. Used with permission.)
This was a commissioned artwork from an avid collector completed in 2021. It is of a young leopard perched in a tree observing the world below it. It finds its home in Munich, Germany. The focus point of the composition is an attractive young leopard framed by the beautiful colors and textures of a Marula tree. One of the artist’s main goals was to capture the inexperienced hunter’s curiosity, nativity and youthful innocence through the rendering of its gaze. The drawing is highly detailed and offered many challenges. It took about 200 hours to complete. It is rendered solely with colored pencils. No blending, tools or solvents were used. The whites of the whiskers were negatively drawn.
About Rowan Hunkin:
Rowan Hunkin is a professional artist based in Austria. Originally from South Africa, it is there that he developed his love for African wildlife which is his predominant subject matter. He works in colored pencils and oil paints. He has been a multiple finalist in the Wildlife Artist of the Year competition.
See more at www.rowanhunkin.com
Templars of Basilica at Santa Fe by Tina White
13 x 16 inches
Polychromous, Pablo, Luminance, and Goldfaber colored pencils on Clairfontaine Pastelmat light gray. (Artist’s own photo reference.)
This piece, Templars of Basilica at Santa Fe, came about accidentally, or perhaps it was meant to be. I was walking to the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum when a wrong turn landed me at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, much to my great luck. This is one of the pillar caps that stands at the front entrance of the Cathedral, and I knew this would be a great piece of art one day.
It's taken me eight years to work up the courage to attempt it, and Pastelmat paper is what gave me the bit of confidence I needed to finally put pencil to paper. Working in grayscale seemed right as it focused on the detail and texture of the stately sculptures and helped me achieve the emotional impact I experienced when I first saw it. This was a piece that demanded to be created, and it hounded my thoughts until I felt brave enough to make the attempt. I am so pleased to have done it justice and so glad I got lost in Santa Fe.
About Tina White:
Tina White is an artist who works exclusively in colored pencil. She has been perfecting her craft for more than a decade. Tina works from her own references she’s collected in her travels as an equine judge. She lives and works in Whitesboro, TX.
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