The Pencil Box - Featured Artists - January 2018
January 2018 Featured Artists. Corresponding with the art gallery that is featured each month in Ann Kullberg's COLOR Magazine, The Pencil Box blog series will give artists a bit more space to share insight and inspiration about their colored pencil art. Make sure to check out links at the bottom of this post for our Facebook group partners - join in the fun and your artwork could be featured, too!
11 x 14 inches
Big Bee Sketch paper
I am a portraiture artist and I find drawing those who have special meaning to me especially rewarding. That funny photo of a grandchild, taken at just the right moment; old family photos of precious times gone by…each can provide the spark that moves me to put pencil to paper.
This photo, taken of my sister over 60 years ago, is rich with the elements that make her singularly special – her natural beauty, her joy in life and the incredible sweetness of spirit that continues to resonate today. It wasn’t enough for me that she existed in a long-forgotten photograph – I knew I had to draw her and bring her back to life! Portraiture has for me, a strong emotional connection and provides a satisfying way to bring loved ones close once again.
The drawing process stirs memories and shared experiences that help imbue my work with the personal touches that, in some small part, capture their “essence”. My sister has always been and continues to be one of the kindest, best people I know. This photo captures the charming loveliness that goes completely through! I admire her greatly and have been blessed to have her in my life.
About Cindy:
Cindy is a self-taught artist who began drawing graphite ACEO portraits in 2008. Her love of watercolor work inspired her to transition to Colored Pencil in 2016. Her love of portraiture features largely in her art, but her enjoyment of challenges propels her to draw other subjects as well.
Ode to Olivia by Martine Venis-Heethaar
40 x 60 cm
Polychromos, Luminance, Pablos and Procolour on Fisher 400 sanded paper.
While I was creating this drawing a good friend , the mother of my brother-in-law, was in a hospice and dying. So hours and hours, every flower, every petal I was creating, I was thinking about her. So my tears are in it, but also her love for everything beautiful in people and every beautiful little thing in the world. That’s why I decided to name it ‘ Ode to Olivia’. She was a remarkable person, a real gem. And I will always miss her.
This drawing is a real giant, it’s 40 by 60 cm. And the Brush and Pencil supplies combined with the sanded paper made it fun to create this real big one. On watercolor paper this would be an immense and endless job but now I could finish this one in two weeks.
About Martine:
Martine started painting and drawing a couple of years ago. Recently she finished her Art- school education (oils, fine-arts). But although she likes to paint she completely fell in love with colored pencils. She shares her enthusiasm for the colored pencils now in lessons and workshops in the Netherlands..
See more at:
http://martinesfineart.com/
Happy Retirement Fox by Takeshi Tokoro
Colored pencils on Canson Mix-media paper Size: A3
Retired trucks that have stopped moving anymore. Truck can not run fast and can not carry heavy luggage. Truck is finished my role as a truck. But a new work was given to the truck. Even now it's surrounded by a lot of beautiful flowers and more than anything, people gather there and smiles are overflowing there. So the truck is now happy. Happy retirement.
It was difficult to blend the color of rust, especially the dent, and I had a hard time painting flowers blooming a lot.
About Takeshi:
I have been drawing with colored pencils for five years. My usual job is to do construction work. It takes time to draw since I finish work and I draw all day long on holidays.
8 x 10 inches
Prismacolor pencils on Strathmore Artist Papers Series 400 Recycled Drawing 80lb
Photo used with permission by Linda Grante
This piece is special in that it represents my first bird/animal portrait! I fell in love with this photo by Linda Grante the moment I saw it and immediately requested permission to turn it into a Colored Pencil work of art. Besides my love of all Nature, I was intrigued by this toucan and the omission of color in the beak, not typical of what we think about when considering toucans, his blue eye and feet in addition to the blurred background. I knew immediately that this photo was perfect to wet my teeth on applying all the new techniques and processes I've learned thru tutorials produced by Ann Kullberg on my first attempt at producing realistic feathers. I'm super excited at the end result and to share the rewards of what I've learned. I look forward to producing more like Blu.
Tracey Chaykin is an artist living and working in the Napa Valley of Northern California. Tracey’s current artistic endeavors include photography of nature and botanical, many of which have come from her own organic gardens, and recreating select photos into colored pencil works of art.
These artworks were published in the January 2018 issue of COLOR Magazine.
FEATURED ARTWORKS FROM OUR FACEBOOK PARTNER GROUPS
Comments (1)
looking for someone who can review my artwork, and teach me more, hopefully through email. have been using pencils for 35 years.
Anne Burke Hewitt - Dec 30, 2017