The Pencil Box - Featured Artists - November 2021

The Pencil Box - Featured Artists - November 2021

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!


Shining Star, Dragonfly in Paradise by Jane Lloyd
11.7 x 16.5 inches, coloured pencils on Seawhite paper

I was inspired to drawing this because of the beauty in dragonflies’ wings in general, their vibrant colours and their elegance. They fascinate me; that they crawl out of the water as larvae and emerge as these beautiful delicate insects. While in the process of drawing this, sadly a friend passed away suddenly. It was during a reading at her funeral that the minister told a story about water bugs and dragonflies. I was so moved by the story and the fact that this was the subject of my current drawing on my desk, that when I got home, I was determined to finish it. This is dedicated to my friend, her husband, and her daughter. The drawing itself was a challenge due to the light and the delicacy of the dragonfly's wings. Insects is a subject I have recently become interested in, challenging myself to show the intricate patterns, shine, and detail within their form. I used Caran d’Ache Luminance and Derwent coloured pencils.

About Jane Lloyd:

Jane, from Arthog, Wales uses coloured pencils & graphite in her work. Drawing animals, bees and other insects, she strives for realism in her work. She studied Art A Level & Art alongside her BA(Ed) but has taught herself many of the techniques she uses today & is still learning. Jane is also an Art teacher and is a fluent Welsh speaker.

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



Presence by Laleh Kamalian
30 x 40 cm on Strathmore 300 vellum paper

Recreating personality, character and expression of the face I portray is my passion. Recently I decided to create a series of portraits to demonstrate a particular attitude and/or personality by hiring models, designing the clothing, the environment and the expression of the portrait, and finally photographing them by myself. I also love extreme light-shadow contrast in a portrait and my other passion is drawing drapery. So, this collection will hopefully fulfill many of my artistic passions. Presence is the first of this set of portraits and this makes it very special. I worked on this piece for more than 100 hours, using a new approach to creating skin tones, which consists of creating the tonal values before adding the skin colours. This method makes the drawing process slower, but in my opinion the end result is worth the time spent. This portrait has been accepted for UCKPS Open Gala exhibition in October.

About Laleh Kamalian:

Laleh Kamalian is a British-Iranian self-taught colour pencil artist, living in Liverpool, UK. At the age of 45, she left a 30-year science career to become a full-time artist in 2020. Her favourite subjects are human and animal portraits. She has exhibited in many local, national and online international exhibitions and won three awards.

See more at: https://www.lalehkamalianart.com/



Fair Weather Friend by Pat Monical
16x12 inches colored pencil on Canson Mi-Teintes

As I was working in my studio I looked just outside my door to see my cat, Abby, intently watching her shadow in the cast light from a skylight. It had been overcast and dreary for days and this day the sun came out. She was fascinated at the image of her newfound friend and sat for some time watching whiskers twitch and ears move. The challenging part was getting the shadows dark enough without flattening or dulling the image. There is life in shadows. Dozens upon dozens of pencils were used in various shades of grays, sepias, ochres, umbers, purples, blues, golds, oranges, and pinks. It was an amazing array. Light speaks to me and its voice is colorful.

About Pat Monical:

Pat Monical holds degrees in astrophysics and mathematics from the University of Missouri – St. Louis. Her love of art led her to also study studio art in college. She has worked as a commission artist for more than 30 years and her work has received awards in various venues. Her artwork and articles have been featured in Ann Kullberg’s CP Treasures 6, CP Hidden Treasures 5 and 6, the March 2018 edition of Color magazine and October 2020 Ann Kullberg blog.

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



Otto by Tracy Thomas
30x24 cm. on Pastelmat

I was honoured to be asked to draw Otto as a gift for his dad on Father's Day. I was a little apprehensive, as this was only my second human portrait in coloured pencils. However, I really loved drawing Otto; I am an honorary auntie, and he holds a special place in my heart. I remember taking the photo on a cold, dull winter day and I wanted my portrait to capture the sunshine in his smile!

About Tracy Thomas:

Tracy Thomas is a teacher and part-time artist from South East England who started using coloured pencils 2 years ago. She primarily draws pets — dogs, cats and horses — but is trying to increase the range of subjects to create a more varied portfolio. Tracy has no formal art training beyond O level art and is enjoying learning with each drawing.

See more at: https://www.tracythomasanimalart.com/


These artworks are published in the NOVEMBER 2021 issue of COLOR Magazine.

FEATURED ARTWORKS FROM OUR FACEBOOK PARTNER GROUPS

Comments (2)

Love all of these paintings!
The dragonfly is superb, and Presence is striking and impactful and the cat is peaceful and makes me smile, Otto is a sweetie.

Mireille Dalpe - Sep 18, 2021

Love all of these paintings!
The dragonfly is superb, and Presence is striking and impactful and the cat is peaceful and makes me smile, Otto is a sweetie.

Mireille Dalpe - Sep 18, 2021

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