The Pencil Box - Featured Artists - October 2024

Strahlendes Lächeln by Andrea Hieke
30x40 cm, colored pencil on Clairefontaine Pastelmat

Noemi, the charming girl in the drawing, was my neighbor for several years. From the beginning, I was captivated by her smile — it was so natural and so contagious. There was nothing forced about it; her radiance was always genuine. At some point I thought, I have to ask her if I can draw her. After some consideration, I finally approached Noemi with my request, essentially ambushing her with the question of whether she would be my model. To my delight, she was immediately enthusiastic, and her mom was equally excited. We decided to do a photoshoot together in her garden, and it turned out to be a wonderfully fun time in the middle of summer. We captured countless photos, and I’ve already drawn a few of them in graphite. However, I wanted to capture her smile and her vibrant energy in color, using artist-grade colored pencils. My goal — or rather my hope — was that anyone who looks at this drawing would be compelled to smile back and be touched by Noemi’s pure joy for life.

ANDREA HIEKE:

The self-taught artist Andrea Hieke brings portraits to life using colored pencils and graphite, inspired by the beauty of the moment. Her expressive works have been showcased in local exhibitions and magazines, earning a Certificate of Artistic Merit at the Luxembourg Art Prize 2023.

Facebook: Andrea Hieke



Vintage Vows by Angel Stewart
8x10 inches, colored pencil on Pastelmat

This piece is a gift for my husband, whose Dad passed away in May. As I spent time at his parents’ house, I kept going back to this photo that my niece had taken of his parents’ hands. I know personally how losing a parent puts your world upside down, and I felt helpless in his grief. I wished I had a picture of my parents’ hands as they got older so I wanted to give my husband and his mother a gift of love. I hoped the art would comfort them with a powerful message that true love transcends all, even life. I didn’t know if I could even achieve half of the skin wrinkles, but after 2 years of confidence boosting with Bonny Snowdon, I didn’t hesitate to try. The feedback from other artists has been spectacular, but the look in my husband’s eyes remembering his Dad as he looks at the drawing makes this piece extra special. I titled it “Vintage Vows.”

ANGEL STEWART:

Angel Stewart is a colored pencil artist living in Charleston, SC,USA. She loved art as a child in Ireland, but only pursued it after a medical retirement from an Info Technology career. She found art improved pain. She currently loves drawing animals in her art dojo with Bonny Snowdon on zoom.



Maddi by Chris Bond
9.5” x 12”, colored pencil on Pastelmat

Maddi is my friend’s 4-year-old border collie. She’s crazy about water, especially if it comes out of a hose. She loves dog sports agility and jumps like a gazelle. Maddi’s biggest fear is chickens. She’s adored by her daddy, Mark, who talks to her every night before he goes to sleep. She’s so devoted that she follows Mark everywhere. Maddi is my first attempt at a full background. I had such fun with the incredible colors available. I’m learning to recognize the myriad of reflecting colors in fur. With her shiny black and white fur, Maddi provided the perfect subject to practice those skills. Filling the tooth of the Pastelmat is a challenge, but I love the many layers of pigment this surface allows. I’ve learned I can achieve depth of field through layers and a combination of pencils — hard for sharp edges and soft for blurring. It’s easy to feel inspired by the right subject. Special thanks to Heather M. Hicks for permission to use her beautiful photo of Maddi.

CHRIS BOND:

Chris creates drawings for friends and family, as gifts of the heart. She lives in the Oregon countryside with her husband and several fun-loving border collies.



Shadow Play by Crystal Wolfe
17.5x10.5 inches, colored pencil on Grafix drafting film

Creating Shadow Play with a variety of colored pencils on drafting film was as much fun as capturing the digital version. I was inspired to take a break from my usual pets, people, flowers, and waterdrops to create my largest piece in pencil with a unique subject. The shadow of the lizard provided an extraordinary perspective; the long tail and feet shapes were a bonus. Shadows (lizard and people in bottom left) combined with amazing colors, lines, and unique shapes in the leaf, made an intriguing composition for color pencil magic!

CRYSTAL WOLFE:

Crystal started her artistic journey in 2000 and has trained with many international artists, authors, and teachers. She has focused on the magic of color pencils and graphite pencils for approximately 20 years with portraiture of pets and people a passion.