The Pencil Box - Featured Artists - June 2024

Ladies of the Night by Christina Rosepapa
15x17 inches, colored pencil on drafting film

As an Arizona resident, I am inspired by the contrasts and mystery I find in the desert. This cactus, the Night Blooming Cereus, puts on a show about once a year, however it only happens at night. And the blooms only last a day. I caught a photo of it early in the morning in my yard and was inspired to capture what I felt. I imagined at night the 'ladies' are enjoying their moment of fame while the world sleeps. They are so mysterious... all that effort and beauty to bloom and many don't even see it. I wanted to capture the mystery, vulnerability and beauty of these cactus blooms.

Christina Rosepapa:

Artist, Christina Rosepapa, is bringing the expression of artistic thought to life with color, movement and contrast in her artwork. As an artist, she wants to inspire people to see and experience a deeper connection to the seasons and experiences of life through botanical expressions.

Facebook: The Art of Christina Rosepapa




A Matter of Perspective by Gabriela Thiecke
13 x 9 inches, colored pencil on Lux Archival

Officially, summer here has come to an end, though temperatures persist but without the humidity. When I started this drawing in November '23, I had a different title, more summery, but I thought it was all too bland. In the new year, I darkened things up and added some more colour (well, you know me) and thought the pun title, pardon me, fun title suited the depiction of this beautiful seagull's fluffy tail end and the perspective line of the incoming shallow wave. The title deliberately reflects the unusual representation of this seagull's fluffy tail end and the interesting way in which the edge of the petered out foamy wave dissects the image almost on the diagonal. But I also wanted to make a statement beyond the pictorial aspect of my art, as it can also be taken as a life philosophy.

Gabriela Thiecke:

Gabriela is a self-taught artist, having completed many wonderful coloured pencil tutorials by artist-teachers from across the world. In my art I love to convey boldness, vibrancy and character, such as the vivid colours of nature or the cuteness of our amazing animal world.

Facebook: Gabriela Thiecke

Submerged by Hailey Wellauer
16x20 inches, colored pencil on Canson Bristol smooth

When I was younger, you could not get me out of the water. I was convinced I was really a mermaid. As a parent I love reliving that feeling of a weightless, quiet, magical world, seen through the eyes of my children. This portrait of my oldest son was such a pleasure to draw. I just love the nuances of the water and the holographic sharks in his goggles. The vibrant joy in his face as he sees this magical underwater world of his own. Like most of my other portraits this was created with multiple reference pictures. My passion is creating works of art that evoke emotion and are personal to the families I create them for. And personal to my own family.

Hailey Wellauer:

Hailey Wellauer is an artist whose passion is to create portraits that are lovingly drawn for herself and for grieving families. Almost all of her work is created by combining multiple reference pictures. She creates portraits that are beautiful and sentimental.

Facebook: Hailey Wellauer Fine Artwork




Pretty in Pink by Rochelle Colgan
12x9 inches, colored pencil on Pastelmat

When our kids were young, they loved going to the local Farmers’ Days Parade in Stony Plain, Alberta. Highlights always included collecting candy and seeing the horses, tractors, and other floats. We took this photo of our then two-year-old daughter sitting in her little pink chair watching the parade. She definitely liked pink at that age! I had originally drawn this in graphite 11 years ago and now wanted to try it in coloured pencil. I had to find more photos from that time to use as reference for her clothing. Looking back at those pictures brought back many fun memories from when she was young. It was so much fun to draw in colour and it has inspired me to create more drawings of my kids.

Rochelle Colgan:

Rochelle Colgan is from Stony Plain, Alberta, Canada. She has loved drawing since she was a child and spent many hours watching her mom, artist Wendy Risdale, work on her paintings. Rochelle has experience in pastel and graphite, drawing both animals and people. Her focus is now coloured pencil.

Facebook: Rochelle Colgan Fine Art