The Pencil Box - Featured Artists - June 2019
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 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!
Tessa by Pris Hardy
11”x14” colored pencils on suede matboard
Tessa was the beloved, little friend of a woman I know. When Tessa passed away, it left a huge hole in my friend's life and heart and two years later, she still misses her sweet companion. As I delivered the artwork, my friend asked how I knew about the special blanket made for her by her grandmother, but I had no idea what she was referring to. Unknown to me when I added the cushion that was not in the reference photo, I had chosen the exact same pattern, spacing and colors as the special blanket she was now asking about. Tessa had one more gift of love for her friend and finally...I know the secret behind those eyes.
About Pris:
With the children getting old enough to stop helping with the art and encouragement from family, Pris set down the charcoals and graphite pencils to test out colored pencils and was soon hooked. Pris often creates in colored pencil and often incorporates an underpainting of watercolor, pastel or graphite.
See more at: https://pris-hardy.pixels.com/
Up on the Roof by Paulette Morrissey
11x14 inches, Prismacolor on Canson illustration board
The photos I took of this stately bird were a lucky break. I was letting my dog out, and turned and saw a heron standing on the next door neighbor's roof. I hurried back inside to get my camera, and luckily, he was still standing there waiting to have his picture taken. I got a few shots and then he left! I was lucky to be out there at just the right moment. Since moving to Florida recently, I've been fortunate to live on a lake where I'm getting a lot of opportunities to photograph various Florida birds. I plan to draw a number of them in the near future.
About Paulette:
Paulette enjoys drawing and painting things she sees in everyday life. Making something ordinary become frame-worthy. More than anything else, she loves color! She has won awards at the CPSA international exhibit, the Visual Arts Center in Florida and the League of Milwaukee Artists in Wisconsin.
See more at: http://www.paulettemorrissey.com/
Sharing the Gossip by Kris Stokes
12x10 inches, Coloured Pencil on Pastelmatt
While I am out walking my dog I often wonder if the wildlife are chatting to each other without us knowing and then I saw a little bird sat with a statue and it became the idea for this drawing. I really like the thought that they have their own world of gossip sharing, so I played around until I could put the two together so it looked like they were deep in conversation discussing the latest news. I tried to keep the colour pallet of the statue complementary to the bird and left the background one tone as I wanted to create an atmosphere of the two of them captured in time, sharing a moment in secret.
About Kris:
Kris Stokes is from Belper, Derbyshire, UK. Trained as a Graphic Designer in the 80s, Kris started drawing again in 2014. She enjoys using pencils because they give a detailed accuracy in mark making and likes to create images of animals, wildlife and Pets as characters that tell a story.
See more at: https://www.krisstokespencilart.com
Ruby's Joy by Cindy Wiltse
14x16.5 inches, Prismacolor on Strathmore Bristol paper
I knew Ruby's father before he was married or had children. When I saw this photo on Facebook of his youngest daughter, it reminded me of his smile exactly so I asked him if he would mind if I drew her and her chicken. I just had to draw the pure joy expressed in his daughter's face. The drawing makes me smile every time I look at it! It was a great photo to draw as it had so many different textures to practice on — wood, skin, feathers, dirt, etc. I did brighten the colors some from the photo but kept everything else exactly how it was taken. It took me a while to get up the nerve to draw such a large detailed project but definitely worth the time..
About CIndy:
I am a new artist who didn't begin drawing until four years ago. I have gone to a few seminars to learn some techniques but am mostly self-taught. It is a talent I never knew I had until later in life which is very exciting!
See more at: https://www.cpiphotography.com/
These artworks are published in the JUNE 2019 issue of COLOR Magazine.
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