Why Color Pencil? The Journey Here

Hands down, the question I am asked most as an artist is "Why color pencil?". Two answers spring to mind.

First, the truth: Pencils were drawn to my hand when I wanted joy. Once the skills to use them merged into my soul, I was hooked.

Second, sarcasm: Because my torch, kiln, and glass rods won't fit in a messenger bag.

For those that don't know me, I started my artistic journey with Lille Viking Designs 15 years ago as a lampworking artist, making intricate glass beads using a 3000° flame a foot from my face.

The 1.25" Peacock Feather Bead, 2013

I drew as a child and into my early teens. My set of high-quality color pencils purchased in Norway followed me everywhere. I used them judiciously since only select American art shops carried Caran D'Ache at the time (professional-grade color pencils are still hard to find in American brick-and-mortar stores, but that's a different story…).

With this infantile introduction to the world of color pencils, fast forward to 2021. I sat in the living room one November night, and suddenly needed to draw something. I pulled out a set of Prismacolor pencils purchased on a whim a month prior, along with a sketchbook marketed for color pencils. 120 gorgeous colors beckoned to me when I opened the pencil box, each more tempting than the next. I picked up a lovely cobalt blue, and drew a shaded sphere on the paper.

Meh.

It skipped a bit on the page, and didn't have the saturation of color promised on the box lid. I tried again, retracing the shape, adding another layer of shading over the first. Hmm... something was coming to life. I went for broke, added a lot more pressure on the pencil, and started coloring.

And there I found what my soul was craving: pure joy. I whooped so loudly in enthusiasm that I made the dog jump.

The color on the page was thick, like blueberry skin, but at the same time buttery soft as it came off the pencil. It was bold, vibrant, almost like it had been painted on. I instantly had a vivid understanding of what this humble writing instrument could do.

Turning the entire work upside down helps to get the details right.
Here, I'm using a mahl stick to keep my hand off the paper.

Since then, I have greatly refined my techniques in both how and what I draw. The process of choosing a drawing's motif is arduous, beginning with finding the subject (frequently incorporating the flowers from my backyard) or assembling a still life where I take my own photos to reference later while I draw. It is important to me that the entire creative process - concept, subjects, color, composition, layout, lighting and design - is my own original work. In today's instant world, it is this personal standard of integrity that sets me apart from many contemporaries.

I am both grateful and honored to have received numerous awards for my artwork. My drawings have appeared in publications of Colored Pencil Magazine and Talking Point, online exhibits by the Rhode Island Watercolor Society and the UK Colour Pencil Society, in person at the Art Association of Harrisburg, and twice at the prestigious Art of the State exhibition in Pennsylvania.

Welcome to Lille Viking Designs. I invite you to share my joy.