Call for demonstrators

Would you like to get involved in a practical way with promoting coloured pencil art? We currently have a couple of opportunities for a number of UKCPS members to provide demonstrations of coloured pencil art this Autumn.

8th Annual Open International Exhibition 2009

We have been allowed to provide demonstrators during the International exhibition at the home of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists. This is an important move for the UKCPS into the Fine Art Community and we need to show what "coloured pencil art" is all about.

The Exhibition is running for two weeks at the RBSA's home at 4 Brook Street, Birmingham B3 1SA (see location map which also provides details of car parking and proximity to the railyway station). The dates of the exhibition are as previously advertised Sept 21st - Oct 3rd and the exhibition is open every day.

We are looking for all types of pencil artist to take up this opportunity to demonstrate in this prestigious gallery. A table and chair will be available for demonstrators.

NEC Art Materials Live

Suzy Herbert UKCPS
demonstrating how she works
at a previous Art Materials Live event

We are also starting to book the demonstrators for the NEC Art Materials Live Event at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC). This is held over 4 days between 5th and 8th November 2009.

This is a huge event for the society and we are looking for help on the two UKCPS stands from UKCPS members who can act as:

• demonstrators,
  
• workshop tutors / aides
  
• and/or people to deal with enquiries and sales
  

If you are available to give a day or half a day to the society please consider joining us at the NEC Birmingham.

These are links to the blog posts about last year's event which give you an idea about what it is like:

• UKCPS at 'Art Materials Live' next week
• Who's going to be at Art Materials Live?
• News from Art Materials Live #1
• Reflections on Art Materials Live 2008

plus this page provides details of how you can travel to the NEC

Who to contact

If you have any queries or would like to register an interest please contact UKCPS Events Manager Rachel Stirling (You can find her email address below - inserted as a picture to avoid it being spammed!).

Artists selected for the 8th Annual UKCPS International Open Exhibition

This week coloured pencil artists in different countries have been receiving emails and letters telling them the outcome of the submission of their work to this year's exhibition by UKCPS of 100% coloured pencil artwork by coloured pencil artists. Both members and non-members were eligible to submit work

Artwork by Vera Curnow CPSA
Founder of CPSA and juror for the
8th Annual UKCPS International Open Exhibition
copyright the artist

Everybody should have heard by now and consequently this blog can now publish the list of artists whose work has been accepted into the exhibition for the very first time.

If an artist has got more than one piece into the exhibition this is indicated by the number in brackets after their name in the list below. For example (3) = 3 artworks accepted. Full members could submit up to four works.

List of artists with work accepted into the 8th International Open Annual Exhibition of the United Kingdom Coloured Pencil Society

• Jose Arcas
• Elisabeth Aubury UKCPS (2)
• Josephine Barnes
• Alexandra Bastien UKCPS
• Joan Batty
• Robin Borrett UKCPS (3)
• Carol Bramley UKCPS
• Linda Brand
• Tiffany Budd UKCPS (3)
• Jean Canter UKCPS (3)
• Angela Cater UKCPS
• Irina Garmashova (3)
• Kate Clarke (3)
• Sue Clinker (3)
• Karen Coulson UKCPS (2)
• Malcolm Cudmore (3)
• Lene Daugaard
• Jude Delaney
• Julie Douglas (4)
• Margaret Edwards UKCPS
• Lesley Galton UKCPS (2)
• Jo Goudie UKCPS (2)
• Angela Hammond (2)
• Pat Heffer UKCPS (2)
• Judith Heilbronn-Crown UKCPS (3)
• Shirley Henderson UKCPS (2)
• Suzy Herbert UKCPS (3)
• Ann Holden
• Catherine Holtom (2)
• Neil Houghton (3)
• John Hurford
• Carole Keen UKCPS
• Shirley Leslie UKPCS
• Bev Lewis UKCPS (2)
• Roger Lewis UKCPS (2)
• Patsy Lindamood UKCPS (4)
• Pauline Longley (3)
• Ann James Massey UKCPS
• Claire Milligan
• Jonathan Newey UKCPS
• Janet Pantry (2)
• Rachel Pesterfield
• Janie Pirie (4)
• Anthony Rankin
• JS Revill (2)
• Dave Richards UKCPS (4)
• Ann Roberts (2)
• Lesley Sharman
• Katherine Tyrrell UKCPS (2)
• Ursula Williams
• Peter Woof UKCPS (3)

For some full members, acceptance of work into this exhibitions means signature status has been earned. Hence the names of those members are now listed with their signature member initials! There will be a special post on this blog about signature members after the exhibition opens.

The jurors this year were Vera Curnow CPSA (Founder of the Colored Pencil Society of America, author, editor and gallery owner), Paul Hipkiss RBSA of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists and Emma Cross from Derwent, the sponsors for this year's exhibition.

The artwork at the top of this post is by Vera Curnow.

Exhibition details

The 8th Annual Open International Exhibition 2009 is being held at the home of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists at 4 Brook Street, Birmingham B3 1SA (see location map which also provides details of car parking and proximity to the railyway station).

The exhibition runs from Monday 21st September to Saturday 3rd October and the exhibition is open every day (Monday to Friday 10:30 to 5:30pm Saturday 10:30am to 5:00pm and Sunday 1:00pm to 5:00pm).

Links to previous posts about this exhibition:

• UKCPS Annual Exhibition - the entry results!
• FINAL REMINDER: 24th June - deadline for UKCPS exhibition entries
• 10 days left to submit your UKCPS Annual Exhibition entry
• The Royal Birmingham Society of Artists - and coloured pencils
• 8th UKCPS Open International Exhibition - Call for Entries

Julie Douglas wins CPSA award

Jeff George has won the Best in Show at the CPSA 17th International exhibition for the second time - and two years running! His work Life and Death is in an unusual panoramic format ( 8.5” x 32”) but that's not its only surprise which I won't spoil by revealing on this blog. I'll just suggest you look very carefully as it's very difficult to see in the size posted on the exhibition gallery site. You'll get a better view of it on his website.

Interestingly I happen to know that this work got rejected last year - but only because only one work from each member can be successful in going forward to the final exhibition. Which means in 2007 he entered two works both of which have been judged best in show in successive years.

Click this link to see all the works which won awards at the exhibition

Top award for UKCPS member

UKCPS Member Julie Douglas won $1,000 and one of the top awards - the Staedtler Award for Exceptional Merit - for Boy on a Swing.

Boy on a Swing
Julie Douglas (Ireland)
coloured pencils 15.7 x 10.2"
copyright the artist

You can see a bigger version of her work on her website - click the image to see the big version.

Julie studied graphic design and illustration and worked for 12 years as a successful illustrator working with top advertising agencies and design groups. She has also illustrated books for publishers such as Penguin, MacMillan, Mitchell Beazley etc. She now teaches art in Ireland.

Prior to this award she has also won the Association of Illustrators Award on two occasions and her work on an American Express brochure won a New York Advertising award.

You can read more about Julie on her UKCPS gallery page - but I'll be asking her to reveal more in an interview for this blog in the near future.