“Summer Sunset 2″ was selected for First Place in the Pastel, Pen & Pencil category at the 27th Annual North American Miniature Art Exhibition at the Art Gallery of Fells Point in Baltimore. This is a 2 x 4″ colored pencil piece showing a sunset over the Gulf of Mexico from the county park observation tower near my home. The show runs to October 30, 2010.

Front side, in progress

The peppers are done on Dura-Lar from my own photo with Prismacolor pencils. Prismacolor Verithin pencils were also used for sketching outlines and some coloring.

Initial colors were worked on a heated work surface so they would soften and blend easily. As the work progressed, I worked mainly on a regular table, but I did take the piece back to the heated surface a few more times when I felt softening the color would give smoother blending and better coverage.

The film was flipped over frequently so additional colors could be applied to the back. In most cases, complementary colors were applied to the back so they would make richer shadows for the darker local color applied to the front.

Reverse side, in progress

This is still evident in the unfinished green peppers across the bottom. Tuscan Red, which is the darkest red, was applied behind the shadow areas of the green peppers, which I have started to fill in on the front with Dark Green and Grass Green. Note also some greens behind the unfinished yellow, orange and red peppers at the top, and Tuscan Red behind the vertical shelf support at the top left.

Also applied on the back is Dark Umber, which was used to darken the deep space between the green peppers. This space is mostly Indigo Blue on the front, with Dark Green and some reds and the Umber added.

I left the strokes obvious in the unfinished areas. This is how the color was initially applied in most parts of the drawing. But as you can see, the strokes do not show in the finished parts, where colors were blended in three ways. A soft eraser in pencil form was used to smooth out strokes, both over heat and on the table. A colorless blender pencil also was used, and this worked especially well on the heated surface. Colors were also blended simply by using extra pressure with the dominant color on top. In some places, colors were worked with pressure from the harder Verithin pencils.

I used the “pencil” eraser mentioned above and a kneaded eraser to make corrections and to bring back “white” (transparency so the backing board can show through) although most highlights are done with white colored pencil. In a few places, thin white lines were done by scratching carefully with the tip of an X-Acto knife.

I will finish this piece by adding more color on both sides and blending it out as described. The green peppers will look as smooth and realistic as the ones across the middle. Going back to the heated work surface will probably be important for unifying the finished effect.

Normally, I work with multiple brands of colored pencils in a large range of colors, but for this piece, I chose to limit myself to a basic 24-color set of the most commonly recognized brand. The paper is white Stonehenge, a terrific 100% cotton heavyweight paper that seems to love colored pencil. I generally use colored papers like Stonehenge’s cream and light gray, but the white was well-suited for the reflective highlights of the plastic containers and their labels, and it maintained the purity of the crayon-like colors of the frosting. Limiting my palette (I did not even use all 24 colors in the set), I was able to maintain color harmony in the piece, but using complimentary colors allowed me to develop a lively and broad range of colors and values. Using one slightly harder pencil from a related product line, I was even able to make most of the ingredient lists readable – try that with any other medium! It was especially gratifying that this modestly-sized piece (9 x 8″) was selected as Best of Show in PAVA’s annual Members Show where it competed with work that was much larger and in all media. I believe it was the ability of colored pencil to mimic the slickness of the plastic and the lusciousness of the frosting that won over the two judges.

The Florida Museum of Women Artists is located at 100 N. Woodland Blvd in DeLand. Regular hours are Tue-Thurs, 11AM-6PM; Fri-Sat, 11AM-7PM; Sun, 1PM-5PM (closed Mondays and major holidays).
The 7,300 square foot space includes three galleries, a gift shop, Cafe, meeting / lecture space, and curatorial area. Future exhibitions will include contemporary art, collections and traveling exhibits from other institutions.

Click here to read related article from the Orlando Sentinel.

Colored Pencil for Everyone at the Beach Art Center
Thursdays, 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM
Four weeks, beginning November 12 (no class on Thanksgiving),
and starting again January 14
$70 Beach Art Center members, $90 Non-members
Call 727-596-4331 to register (Ask for materials list at registration)

“Neat, portable and inexpensive, colored pencils can be used for any style work, from rough sketches to finely detailed realism. Students experiment with color and techniques for a full range of special effects. Emphasis on developing an individual style through personal guidance from instructor and class discussion. For all levels, but some background in drawing is strongly suggested.”

Sunset Rider, Colored pencil, 21 x 33" framed, $1800

At the recent Florida Artist Group 59th Exhibition at the Armory Art Center in West Palm Beach, my entry, Sunset Rider, was selected for the Best in Show Award, the Elizabeth Morse Genius Award. It’s the second time I’ve been honored with a “Genius Award” in a FLAG show. The judge was Sique Spence, Director of the Nancy Hoffman Gallery in New York, and the show ran September 12 – October 3, 2009.
See the article on the show in the Palm Beach Daily News online edition.

Sunset, Leaping Mullet & Fishermen

We have changed the date of the “plein air” colored pencil workshop to October 30. There is still time to join us for this casual, fun class at Wall Springs Park in Palm Harbor. Drawing on location helps develop general drawing skills, and it’s a wonderful way to record travels. Although no special materials are needed for this class, just some pencils and a good sketchbook, you’ll also learn about the equipment that makes working outdoors easier. (Materials list available to help you choose which pencils to bring.) Class will meet 9 AM – 3 PM; fee: $75 DFAC members, $105 non-members Register through the Dunedin Fine Art Center

]]> http://mmillernece.com/2009/10/colored-pencil-goes-outdoors-on-october-30/feed/ 0 http://mmillernece.com/2009/08/good-press-for-my-show/ http://mmillernece.com/2009/08/good-press-for-my-show/#comments Sat, 22 Aug 2009 02:54:12 +0000 Melissa http://mmillernece.com/?p=59

I was pleased to learn that my Pasco Hernando Community College show was covered in the Pasco Times edition of the St. Petersburg Times today. I don’t know how long it will be available, but the link is here.
The image in the Times, Three Couples, has had a lot of good press itself — Legion Paper has used it in advertising for Stonehenge paper for over a year. It’s earned a lot of recognition from being in so many art magazines. And it’s won several awards, including Best of Show in the Florida Artist Group annual show in 2006.

I have a solo show, “Water’s Edge” opening on August 27 at the Alric C.T. Pottberg Library at Pasco Hernando Community College, on their New Port Richey (FL) campus. 46 of the 47 pieces in this show feature water in some natural form. The colored pencil pieces are mostly views of Florida beaches but the show also features a group of plein air paintings of lakes, river, marshes and the gulf. In addition, there are a handful of miniatures in colored pencil — it’s one of those that’s without water, a portrait of family members at a parade.

The opening reception, hosted by the college, is Thursday, August 27, 3 – 7 PM. (Although if you want to see me, get there before 6, as I have to leave early for a class at 7!) The show remains on view until September 19; regular viewing hours are 9 – 8, Mon – Thurs, and 9 – 3:30, Fri – Sat. Private viewing and tours can be arranged by calling 727-816-3229.

Three shows coming up:
I’ve been busy painting on location and have about 9 new oil, acrylic and ink & watercolor pencil paintings for a group show of plein air artwork, “Outside Art” at the Octagon Art Center, 2470 Nursery Rd, in Clearwater, FL. The opening reception is December 4, although I’ll miss that event because I have a class to teach at the same time. The show runs December 4 to January 14.

Six colored pencil miniatures, including two brand new ones, have traveled south for “It’s a Small World – World Class Art in Miniature” at the Weatherburn Gallery, 452 Bayfront Place, Naples. This invitational show of artwork by Miniature Art Society of Florida award winners opens Saturday, November 29, 6 – 8 pm, and runs at least until December 22.

And speaking of miniatures, the Miniature Art Society of Florida’s 34th Annual Show runs January 18 to February 8, 2009 at the Dunedin (FL) Fine Art Center. All five of my entries were accepted, and I expect to be demonstrating each Thursday and Friday afternoon of the exhibit. I’ll also be teaching a workshop on Miniature Art at DFAC on January 24 – 25. This is probably the world’s largest and best annual show of miniature art, with close to 900 accepted entries, and it always draws huge crowds. The Miniature Artists of America Traveling Show will hang at the same time; as a new MAA Signature Member, I have a piece in that show too.