The Pencil Box - Featured Artists - May 2020
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!
Blue Jay by Frederique Horton
12 x 8 inches Saunders Waterford HP.
I came upon this photo on Pixabay and wanted to draw it straight away, as I was mesmerized by the blues and purples of this bird, and its head turned as if to say, “look at my beautiful plumage!” Birds fascinate me and I have drawn quite a few. A while ago I had set myself a project and drew 16 colorful birds in a row and put them all together in a collage. I used so many blues and purples for this one, all from 5 different brands that all offered another take on the same hue, so mixing them as I went along gave great results. And I've got to say I have a soft spot for beaks too!
About Frederique:
Frederique is a self-taught artist working from her home in South Wales, UK. She started drawing with colored pencils a couple of years ago, and learned through YouTube and internet tutorials. Her love is for wildlife, which has now become her passion. Commissions for pets and wildlife are welcome!
See more at: https://www.facebook.com/frederiquehortonart/
Happy Moo Year by Caroline Isabeau
9"x12" Fabriano Artistico hotpress
I absolutely love cows and wanted to create a piece to make people smile as well as showing them that cows are not just “food.” This drawing is funny...and reveals another side of cows, that they have their own personalities just like us (human beings) making them more relatable to the person viewing my artwork. At the same time as creating a thought-provoking piece I wanted to make it unique and not the typical “animal” pose (mouth closed ... face straight on). This cow licking its nose does both it makes you smile while being an unusual pose for a cow artwork.
About Caroline:
Caroline is an artist from Durham in the United Kingdom, she mainly specializes in animal portraits. She discovered her passion for drawing three years ago after being diagnosed with Autism (Asperger's Syndrome) and she found drawing helped deal with this as it relaxed her.
See more at: https://facebook.com/CarolineIsabeauCapannaArt/
Granny June by Tameria Rigsby
16x20 inches, Grey toned Pastelmat Card
Granny June was the mother of a childhood friend. Fiercely independent and adventurous, she wouldn’t mince words when asked her opinion. However, she was also very kind, loving and enjoyable. The wife of a farmer, she cleaned and cooked, while helping with chores on the farm. And as she toiled, she would raise her children to become as independent and strong as she were.
June was an older woman when she took on the responsibility of helping care for a child, Kyra, born near her farm. She promised Kyra's family she'd help get her raised before she left this earth. She would leave a positive, indelible mark on young Kyra’s life as she had many in our small farming community.
Kyra grew and, Granny June (as Kyra called her), remained true to her word. Year after year passed. As Kyra neared the end of her high school career, her class was assigned by a teacher to bring in an artifact; a trinket or item that was nearly or over 100 years of age. Artifact Day was highly anticipated among the children, as they took pride in displaying the unusual items they’d found, then each explaining how they’d been used and cared for.
Kyra responded to Artifact Day by taking her Granny June as her artifact. Sitting among old crocks, clocks, jars, and washboards, Granny regaled the class with tales from her youth, her husband, and her children; her life..
About Tameria:
An artist living in Centerville, Ohio, Tameria Rigsby is often inspired by her memories of her childhood in Kentucky. She is the mother of two grown children and a grandmother of 2, all of whom she takes great pride in. Portraits are among her favorite things to draw.
Italian Garden by Nicola Bird
14x17 inches Strathmore Bristol Vellum 300 Series
My husband and I went on honeymoon to the Amalfi Coast, Italy in May 2014. We visited the gardens of Villa Cimbrone, and we fell in love with the beautiful setting and the wonderful old wooden doors and archways. This photo was taken at the entrance to the gardens and I felt it captured the rustic and charming feel of the villa. We have visited the Italian Lakes many times but our honeymoon was certainly our most special trip and this portrait brings back lovely memories. I really enjoyed creating this piece and learned a lot along the way. I used a variety of different pencil brands and it was fun blending and layering them to achieve this finish.
About Nicola:
Nicola is a self-taught artist who specialists in colored pencil, pastel and graphite art. She began drawing in 2018 and to date has worked mainly on a commission basis. Nicola hopes to produce her own artwork to sell and is excited about continuing to learn and develop her skills.
See more at: https://www.nicolabirdart.com
These artworks are published in the MAY 2020 issue of COLOR Magazine.
FEATURED ARTWORKS FROM OUR FACEBOOK PARTNER GROUPS