The Pencil Box - Featured Artists - January 2023

The Pencil Box - Featured Artists - January 2023

Corresponding with the art gallery that is featured each month in Ann Kullberg's COLOR MagazineThe 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 FB group links at the bottom of this post. Call for entry is posted every month in participating Facebook groups - join in the fun and your artwork could be featured, too!


Seasons Ecc.3, 8 x 8 inches
Ann Holder

“Seasons Ecc. 3” was created using Polychromos, Luminance, and Pablo colored pencils on Strathmore Bristol Plate. I took the photo reference a few years ago while hiking in the mountains with my darling husband. The leaves were gently falling around us and the landscape was a riot of color! The inspiration for the title comes from Ecclesiastes chapter 3 in the Bible. From that chapter we read, “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.” And, "Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time." Through all of life's seasons, from the magnificent world around us, to the uniquely beautiful and precious person you see in the mirror every day, all are designed with precision and purpose by the Master Creator.

About Ann Holder:

Ann Holder is a realism artist in the beautiful mountains of Highlands, North Carolina. She regularly marvels that, while she creates with paper and pencil, God has already created the living thing. She finds the exacting nature of colored pencil work wonderfully challenging and satisfying.

See more at: https://www.facebook.com/ann.holder.547


After The Rain,12x12 inches
Carol Doran

It had been a hot, dry Summer here in the UK. I opened the curtains early one morning and was surprised to see we had a sprinkle of rain during the night. The sun had just risen and the water droplets on the lawn and plants were sparkling like fairy lights. I grabbed my camera to try and capture this magical moment which I knew wouldn't last long. I picked this photo as a reference for a drawing as I thought the lens flare and droplets would prove challenging. I also thought that mixing and creating the colours of the fuchsia flowers would be equally challenging.

About Carol Doran:

A self-taught artist living in the UK, Carol began pursuing coloured pencil art in 2013. Her work is inspired by the beauty of the natural world and she tries to reflect that in her subjects. Carol received her Signature Status with the CPCAU in August 2019 and with the UKCPS in 2022.

See more at: https://www.facebook.com/CarolAnnDoranArt


Maybe, 8.25 x 9 inches
John Irvine

The drawing is from one of a few reference photos of the lovely Mikayla that Maureen Killaby kindly sent me to use. I'm hoping to visit Texas sometime and Maureen has said she would introduce me to Mikayla, so I've been trying to draw a portrait of her that I could give to her in person. I'll probably give her this drawing, but I still have some more photos of her to work from, so I'll keep drawing before choosing which one to give her. I've always enjoyed trying to draw portraits and Mikayla's curly hair is certainly challenging to draw but worth the time and effort.

About John Irvine:

John lives in St Andrews, Scotland. While recuperating from a serious accident at work, he attended an evening class called “So you think you can't draw” and found he loved drawing with colour pencils.


Cherry Blossoms, 13x19 inches
Lorri Lynn Dixon, CPSA

This represents a wonderful memory of a Spring day after visiting our grandchildren. As I was leaving their home, I saw beautiful cherry blossoms across the street. I immediately knew I wanted to create a piece of artwork based upon the blossoms. Also known as “sakura,” cherry blossoms are known to symbolize renewal, the impermanence of beauty, the fleeting nature of life, and the essence of the moment. To me, this image represents growth and change - and thus reminds me of the how fast life goes by and how quickly our children grow. Seeing the beautiful blossoms, with my heart overflowing with love, was a special memory for me. I loved being able to capture that moment in time on paper.

About Lorri Lynn Dixon:

Lorri lives in the suburbs of Seattle, Washington. She began creating art around 2018, yet has already earned her CPSA signature. She is an award-winning artist, with her pieces being juried into numerous prestigious national and international exhibits.

See more at: https://www.facebook.com/artbylorri


These artworks are published in the JANUARY 2023 issue of COLOR Magazine.

FEATURED ARTWORKS FROM OUR FACEBOOK PARTNER GROUPS

Comments (1)

The January issue was so inspiring- I love studying my 2 favorites from the issue. John Irvine put such personality in his beautifully rendered portrait of Mikayla. Jacques Domines taught me that a lovely French cottage is enhanced by a painterly figure in the foreground. He makes me continue to drink in the contrasting textures, darks and lights, and even find the crow on the roof. Now I have to hone my drawing skills so I can do more portrait work and include figures in the foregrounds of my landscapes and street scenes.

Deb Boudra - Dec 10, 2022

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