Before I began working in colored pencil, I had no idea how long it takes to do an excellent job of something as simple as “blending” or transitioning one color into another. Today, I was practising a new technique of blending, using many, many layers and very light pressure of the pencil on the paper. The top bar is all the same pencil color, applying light, medium and harder pressure to get the 3 values. The second square is 2 colored pencils, transitioning from dark to light color, making the transition as smooth as possible. The ball is 5 colors of pencil, showing the way light behaves on a spherical surface. Guess how many hours these 3 exercises took? 

​It’s been 2 years since I last created an entry on this page, and so much has changed for me as an artist. I’m going to try to be faithful to regularly post here so that I can keep in closer contract with you, showing you more of what is happening in the studio on a daily basis. .  

One major change for me has been a new direction in a portion of my work. I have discovered a love for colored pencil, and particularly doing pet portraits. I’ve been working in colored pencil for a year (as of a week ago!), testing different surfaces, and finding what works best for my style of drawing. The pet portrait above is one of my favorites from 2024 - such a great expression on this puppy’s face!!!  I’m so excited to share my discoveries and process with you - so stay tuned for that. 

I continue to create my beautiful Birds of a Feather series, but I am exploring new ideas for how to change them up a bit. I’ve done some in new colors, which you can see on my page with Koyman Galleries, but I’m also experimenting with creating a whole new series. We’ll see where that goes. 

Today I need to finish planting my garden. And once that’s done, I can spend more time back in my studio. Have a wonderful day, friend.