Workshop at the Workhouse

A short while ago, Lesley Sharman held a successful coloured pencil workshop at the Ripon Workhouse Museum. This was her first try at teaching and it obviously worked as she has been asked to do it again and full details of future events can be seen on the website.

Here's Lesley's report of the event in October.

Eight people attended (the maximum number that I’d decided on), who came from far and wide. One lady travelled over 70 miles to attend after spotting the event on the Workshops page of the UKCPS website, another came from 60 miles away, and two were from about 20 miles away. They were all keen to try out something different from the usual watercolour painting classes and some specifically wanted instruction in using coloured pencils.

As everybody was new to CP I started with the basics, explaining about equipment and techniques and let them experiment with different types of pencils and papers. The afternoon was taken up with following step-by-step instructions for three different-coloured bell peppers which I had prepared.

Derwent very kindly sponsored the event, and I also explained about the Society and handed out flyers, so hopefully we may soon have some new members from up North.

To my relief, the day was a great success and everybody went home happy and proud of what they managed to achieve.

I had very positive feedback and I recently repeated the workshop. The lady from 60 miles away returned with five other people from her local art group, and they have asked for more. I now have a waiting list of people wanting to learn about coloured pencil, so I think this might well be the start of my running regular workshops in Yorkshire, building on the first one to cover different subjects and techniques. Watch this space!

Richard Klekociuk - Drawing Prize

Our international member, Richard Klekociuk, in Tasmania, Australia won the Drawing section of the 23rd Cradle Coast Rotary Art Exhibition at Ulverstone, on Tasmania’s Northwest Coast.

Natural Graffitiscape

60 x 40 cm. Prismacolor and Polychromos pencils on Canson pastel board

copyright Richard Klekociuk

As Richard said in his blog:

This year’s exhibition attracted 250 entries vying for 10 prizes featuring painting, drawing and mixed media.

I was fortunate to win the same section last year, and was thrilled to win it a second time.

In this drawing I ‘dragged’ the natural marks and colours of the rocks down, across the lower half of the composition. I like the balance of realism and abstraction.

You can see more of Richard's work on his recently updated gallery page at the UKCPS website and his own website.

Steve Ormerod visits W Yorkshire Local Group

As reported in an earlier post, Steve Ormerod gave a demo at the UKCPS West Yorkshire Local Group in Baildon.

Steve Ormerod prepares to start his demo

Group organiser, Roy Lorrain-Smith, reports:

Twenty members and friends of the West Yorkshire local group had a treat last night (10 November 2010). Coloured pencil artist Steve Ormerod came to Baildon to give a demonstration of his way of working. He brought with him a selection of his completed coloured pencil works and talked about them, explaining how he had achieved various effects -- or where he now feels he went wrong, and how he would tackle such problems now.

He talked about various ranges of coloured pencil, notably Derwent Drawing, Graphitint, Inktense and Coloursoft, showing how he worked with them to achieve many different features, from backgrounds through flesh tones to highlights, and working both dry and wet with all of them (water soluble or not). He did not hesitate to use other media such as pastels with pencils. "I use all sorts of things to get the effects I want," he said. And showed how, with erasers to improve texture, and the wrong end of a paint brush for whiskers -- animal or human. We could also see that one at least of his palettes had been promoted from making ice cubes in someone's freezer, and he revealed that as revenge one of his best watercolour brushes had been briefly commandeered by the pastry cook.

He was informative and witty, and the evening was a great success. We all had great fun.

Hello and Thank You

Hello from your new, temporary, blogmaster - Liz Ridley. I will be, for now, dealing with the blog posts so please contact me at ukcpsblog1@gmail.com with any cp or UKCPS news you would like to see here.

Many thanks to Katherine for creating and maintaining such a fantastic blog and I am very grateful for her recent help in the handover.

More newsworthy posts should be arriving soon - this post is mainly a test for me to check that everything works.

UKCPS Awardwinner in "Simply the Best" exhibition at NEC

Sue Clinker has had a coloured pencil picture accepted for the 'Simply the Best' Competition which will be exhibited at the Art Materials Live event at the NEC in Birmingham - where UKCPS also has a stand this week (4th - 7th November 2010).

The competition is sponsored by the Leisure Painter and The Artist magazines.  30 finalists have been selected to have their work exhibited at the show where visitors will vote for a 'People's Winner' and the works will be featured in Leisure Painter magazine in 2011.

Old Blue Eyes by Sue Clinker

This was my first attempt at a 'human' using coloured pencils back in 2008 and I can see lots of things I'd do differently now ... but we never stop learning do we? 

My picture is 'Old Blue Eyes' (attached) which was awarded Reserve Best in Show at the UKCPS World of Coloured Pencil exhibition (Cumberland 2008) - it was entitled 'Eye of the Beholder' then.

You can see more of Sue's work on her website www.sueclinker.co.uk or her blog Sue Clinker

UKCPS at Art Materials Live 

Visit the UKCPS Stand at Art Materials Live, National Exhibition Centre, 4-7th November 2010

A Birthday and a Goodbye

Today is my last day as blogmaster and this is my last post on UKCPS News. 

I've been responsible for writing the blog posts for UKCPS News since September 2008 when I took over from Bob Ebdon, the Founder of the UKCPS.

I'd like to take this opportunity to recap where this blog came from and what it has achieved to date - and that's partly because it was my idea in the first place!

At the 2007 AGM, I suggested it was time for UKCPS to think about creating a blog with a view to (1) improving online communication with UKCPS members and (2) broadcasting news about UKCPS and coloured pencils to an audience beyond UKCPS members - all with a view to fulfilling all the main aims of the Society:

• to promote coloured pencils as a fine art medium
• to support artists who use coloured pencils
• to educate artists and the public in general about coloured pencils

At the time of the meeting, the Executive was a little reluctant to make a commitment, however Bob soon saw the point and created the blog a short while later in October 2007 - which of course means that this blog is now three years old!

UKCPS News Achievements

In the last three years, UKCPS News has achieved the following:

• 167 blog posts in three years
• 255 subscribers from all over the world - who get an email every time the blog is published or otherwise read the blog in their feedreader
• an awful lot of visitors.  Since it started three years ago there have been 38,892 unique visitors to UKCPS News.  My records for the last two years show there have been well over 26,000 visitors who have generated some 44,000 page loads.  As always the peaks have come in October round about the time of the Annual Exhibition when lots of visitors are keen to see the images of the prizewinners - and to find out who won what.

UKCPS News: Pageloads and Unique Visitors October 2008-October 2010

New Initiatives

New initiatives that have proved popular during my time as blogmaster have included:

• a suite of posts covering every aspect of the UKCPS Annual Exhibition - from prizewinners to the volunteers who help make it happen
• the publication of all the names of artists accepted into the Annual Exhibition.  This has become one of the most popular posts on the blog and always gets a big audience each year.
• more publicity for the activities of members at a local level - especially those running local groups and those demonstrating coloured pencils
• posts featuring individual members when they have achieved something particularly meritorious as a coloured pencil artist.  This has helped raise the awareness of just how many coloured pencil artists are now being selected for and winning awards in multi-media exhibitions.
  
• the development of the blogroll.  This now provides a link to every UKCPS member who has a blog about their coloured pencil art and news of their latest post
• the inclusion of the Link Within widget.  At the bottom of every post, this highlights past posts which are related in topic terms to an indvidual post.  This in turn helps people to explore the archive of relevant posts as well as reading the latest one.

So - all in all - it feels like UKCPS News has been a very worthwhile exercise to date in terms of the benefits it has brought to the promotion of coloured pencil.

I'm now stepping down from the role of blogmaster for a few reasons, two of which relate to a couple of major projects I've had in mind for a while.  One of which involves a lot of writing!  If you're interested, all will become clear in the next couple of months or so and you can find out more in due course in my usual home over at Making A Mark.

In the meantime, there's now a vacancy for a blogmaster....so I hope it will only be a short gap before somebody is again writing about the next major UKCPS activity (which is Art Materials Live at the NEC - see the side column), what the local groups have been getting up to, who's won a prize in which exhibition, who's demonstrating where, who's written a relevant book etc etc.

There'll be a new email address in due course if you have any news.  In the meantime, if you want to highlight anything which is suitable for the blog please contact Liz Ridley - webmaster@ukcps.co.uk

Katherine Tyrrell UKCPS
UKCPS Blogmaster (now retired!)

Pencil Me In

Artwork by Karen Coulson UKCPS

Pencil Me In is an exhibition at the The Discovery Centre Gallery in Winchester which features work by UKCPS members Karen Coulson UKCPS, Elizabeth Diggins, Jess Knowles and James Brinsford.   Subjects range from the natural world to the world of fantasy with a common theme of wildlife and the countryside.

The exhibition is being held to coincide with Big Draw month, was opened by the Dean of Winchester at a private view earlier this month and remains open daily until the 6th November.

To coincide with Big Draw month this exhibition presents work by a group of artists who share an enthusiasm for drawing using graphite, coloured pencils, charcoal pencils and pastels. Subjects range from the natural world to the world of fantasy with a common theme of wildlife and the countryside.

Also on display will be a number of fascinating items highlighting the history of pencil making on loan from the Cumberland Pencil Museum in Keswick.

Drop in and Draw day - Wednesday 27 October

Drop in on Wednesday 27 October during half term and create your own colourful cut-out leaves, flowers, bugs, fruit, and birds to add to our Tree of Life.

Art materials for these ‘Drop in and Draw’ days have been kindly donated by Derwent.

The Discovery Centre Gallery is in Jewry Street, Winchester, SO23 8SB and the exhibition is open Monday - Friday 9am - 7pm, Saturdays 9am -5pm and Sundays 10am - 4pm. Admission is free.

There is a car park adjacent to the Discovery Centre which is a few minutes walk from Winchester rail station. Parking is free on a Sunday. Park and ride operates on weekdays.

Artwork by Jim Brinsford and Jess Knowles

South Hampshire Local Group

The South Hampshire Group of the UKCPS meets every 6-8 weeks at either Romsey or in Waterlooville near Portsmouth.  Contact Karen Coulson for further details.

Demonstrating coloured pencils

Malcolm Cudmore was demonstrating at the UKCPS Annual Exhibition last month - and was drawing this sheep for his demonstration.

Ewe lookin at me? by Malcolm Cudmore

Last week he was demonstrating again but this time at the Pencil Museum.  This included acting as the the tutor for a workshop on drawing Herdwick Sheep and Lakeland Beasts in Aquatone Sticks.

Demonstrating coloured pencils

Please let the blogmaster know of any future events you are participating in if you are a UKCPS member and demonstrate coloured pencil:

• to Local Groups and/or
• at UKCPS events and/or 
• for UKCPS sponsors

Members can find details of UKCPS Member Workshops on the website. 

If you are a UKCPS member and wish to add your colored pencil course/workshop to this page, contact the webmaster with details.

Coloured pencil portrait now hangs in Windsor Castle

Rt Hon. Jean Chrétien, PC, CC, OM, QC

Prime Minister of Canada, - 1993-2003

Official Portrait - Order of Merit recipient

Colored pencil

16" x 12" (40cm x 30cm)

Bernard Poulin 2010

Bernard Poulin has recently contributed towards the advancement of coloured pencil.  His coloured pencil portrait of a former Prime Minister of Canada now hangs in the Print Room at Windsor Castle.

He writes

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, has appointed the Right Honourable Jean Chrétien, (Prime Minister of Canada - 1993-2003) to the most prestigious Order of Merit. As is the tradition, a portrait drawing of this newest Member to the Order will hang in the Print Room at Windsor Castle. Her Majesty having asked me to create this portrait, has recently acknowledged and accepted the portrait.

UKCPS - West Yorkshire Local Group

Baking the Cake by Angela Hammond

The UKCPS West Yorkshire Local Group meets on the second Wednesday of each month from 7.00 to 9.00 pm at St James's Church in Baildon, north of Bradford.  This is the prominent white wooden building on the Otley Road (Clink link for map of location) at the bottom of Hollins hill, opposite the Half Way House pub, just off Kirklands Lane.

The next meeting will be next week - on Wednesday 13 October 2010.

Old Barn Door by Roy Lorrain-Smith

Roy Lorrain-Smith, who lives in Baildon, writes

There's a wide variety of skill-levels and interests, including portraits, animals, buildings, flowers and landscapes.  We have a lot of laughter and times of silent concentration.  Members in the group number between 6-10 and people come for the evening from Bradford, Guiseley and Leeds, as well as Baildon.

So far, we have mostly done out own thing. We also share tips with each other, including books, DVDs or videos we've liked and found helpful.

The Group have now arranged to have their first guest tutor on 10 November.   Roy continues...

Stephen Ormerod will be coming that evening to give us a demonstration of painting or drawing with coloured pencils.  You can see examples of his work on www.sormerod.co.uk

More about Local Groups

If you have a UKCPS Local Group you'd like to see featured on the UKCPS News blog please contact the blogmaster

Information needed includes:

• scope of the group in terms of current geographical coverage
• venue, days and time of any regular meetings
• details of any local activities you have arranged
• something about your members 

If you'd like more information about the UKCPS Local Groups or want to set one up please visit the UKCPS Local Groups page on the website and/or contact Pauline Longley the Local Groups Co-ordinator

Notes from the UK Coloured Pencil Society AGM

UKCPS Annual General Meeting 1st October 2010

The Annual General Meeting of the UKCPS took place at 5pm on Friday 1st October.

This is an edited version of the Chair's note which summarises key points in advance of the publication of the full minutes to all UKCPS members.  It broadly follows the order of items on the agenda

Society Finances / Sponsorship / Membership

The current economic climate is generating pressures on two important sources of future UKCPS revenue.  It is proving increasingly difficult to gain sponsorship and also to retain members who are having to review their outgoings.  The latter particularly affects those who are retired and/or whose income is increasingly squeezed.  It's therefore essential to keep the Society's running costs under control.

However, the good news is that the UKCPS has accumulated a significant reserve which currently provides:

• the equivalent of a year’s running costs which acts as a buffer against any financial difficulties or insolvency.
• an opportunity to invest funds to take forward both the aims of the Society and to add value to members.

Annual Exhibition / Venues for future exhibitions

Changes have been agreed to how UKCPS exhibits in future.

In order to maintain maximum accessibility for members, the new plan is to hold the Annual Exhibition at a venue in London and a suitable venue elsewhere in the UK in alternate years.

• The 10th Annual Exhibition in 2011 will be in London.
• The venue for 2012 has not yet been decided.  Prestigious galleries outside London are being sought and any help identifying suitable locations is most welcome.

10th birthday celebrations / a new mixed media class

The occasion of the first Annual Exhibition by UKCPS in London will be used to promote the use of coloured pencils as a fine art medium within the capital and to figures in the fine art establishment.   Invites will be extended to the latter re attendance at the Private View and involvement with the judging.

The 10th exhibition will be a larger event.  It provides an opportunity for members to get involved in running workshops and demonstrating.  Members are also invited to make suggestions for new ways of how to use the Exhibition to communicate coloured pencils to a new audience

A new mixed media class has been proposed and agreed.  The AGM agreed that UKCPS should pilot a judged 50% mixed media class alongside the pure coloured pencil workls in order to extend the scope of the Society and to enable keen users of pastel pencils to participate.  This does not mean that the Society is losing its primary focus of being the Society specialising in pure coloured pencils.

UKCPS Committee 

There have been a number of changes in committee membership during 2009/10 which have resulted in fresh ideas coming to the fore.  The spreading of roles between more people is working well.  This has relieved pressures on existing committee members and enabled more attention to be given to the development of new ideas.

Currently there are urgent outstanding vacancies for:

• PR and marketing
• Co-ordination of the UKCPS annual attendance at Art Materials Live at the NEC

Anyone interested should contact the Chairman.  You don't need to be proposed - you can volunteer.

If better forum webware can be found (given the current way Yahoo displays artwork separate from threads) a volunteer is also needed to make this happen and then run the forum.

Forward notice was given that the following roles will be vacated in 2011

• Chairman
• Exhibition Director
• Sponsorship

Communication with Membership

The Annual Committee Meeting enabled discussion of new ways of improving communication to members using a variety of channels.

In future, the plan is to:

• Create a membership area on the web.  This will include a searchable set of resources based on articles in Talking Point and useful threads in the Forum
• Develop a new approach to Local Groups to create a more geographically based approach to the provision of information and workshops at a local level.
• Develop an interim newsletter for members who do not use the web to provide top tips from the Forum inbetween editions of Talking Point

Timing of Annual Committee Meeting / AGM

It has been customary to hold the Annual Committee Meeting on the same day as and just before the AGM.  It was agreed that this is not working.

Next year a revised timetable will create more opportunity to develop ideas for consideration by members in advance of the AGM

It was also noted that the change of day on which the AGM was held had also prompted many members to ask that the UKCPS AGM returns to being held at a weekend so more members can attend. 

Exhibition Awards

Pat Heffer presents the Derwent Award to Peter Woof

The Exhibition Director distributed the following awards to those prizewinners able to attend.

• Caran d'Ache Award for Best Picture in Show (£400) ‘Loire Valley Harvest’ by Jane Pirie (Mrs Thorogood)
• UKCPS Award for ‘Reserve Best in Show’ (£200) ‘Daydreaming Tiger’ by Sue Clinker UKCPS 
• The President's Award (£100) ‘Challenging Stereotypes’ by Kate Clarke UKCPS 
• The Peter Weatherill Award for Best Landscape (£75) ‘Surrey Spring Elstead Moat Pond’ by Jean Canter UKCPS
• The Staedtler Award (£50) ‘Strawberries’ by Irina Garmashova-Cawton
• The Faber Castell Award (Large box of Polychromos Pencils) ‘Ross’ by Brian Ainsworth
• The Derwent Award (£100 of art supplies from Derwent catalogue) ‘Japanese Still Life’ by Peter Woof UKCPS Silver
• The Lyra Award (Large Box of Pencils) Plum & Blossom 'Marjories Seedling' by Jane Pirie (Mrs Thorogood)
• The Ann Swan Award for Botanical Art (copy of her new book)  'Pear 'Conference' by Jane Pirie (Mrs Thorogood)

Prizes were also awarded to those Highly Commended.

Following the close of the meeting, an enjoyable social gathering was held.

After that, volunteers (and partners) dismantled the exhibition and packed up artwork for despatch back to members. 

NOTE:  Distribution of artwork:  “The postman” is away next week on a course so there will be a short delay before pictures are returned to artists.

Pauline Longley, Suzie Herbert and Malcolm Cudmore pack up the exhibition
assisted by members' partners

UKCPS Annual Exhibition 2010 - Thanks to......

Today is the last day of the 9th Annual Exhibition at Stamford and it's customary at this stage to thank everybody who participated.  The photos included in this post are of people who helped with the exhibition.

I can't do better than start in exactly the same way as last year.

Thanks to the artists!

First and foremost, thanks are due of course to everyone who entered a picture for the Exhibition - both UKCPS members and non-members. It goes without saying that there is no annual exhibition without all of you!

Thanks to the UKCPS Exhibition Team

As always Pat Heffer UKCPS Exhibition Director is very committed to making the Annual Exhibition a success and is responsible for the Exhibition as a whole from notifications to members to making sure that all the pictures get back to the right people.   It's a huge job and one which is ably supported by a very large group of members (and some of their "significant others") at various stages!

Pat Heffer, Exhibition Director

A key person this year was Judith Waugh who was the local contact for this exhibition in Stamford.

This year Pat organised the Exhibition and the 'hang' despite the very significant handicap of having recently had an accident which left her with a broken wrist and ribs.  This meant routine communication via keyboard and lifting and holding pictures were not adviseable this year.  However a way round was found!

The happy team of helpers at the exhibition were invaluable in making sure that all the pictures were unwrapped, equipped with mirror plates and hung before the Private View in the evening.

The great unwrapping:  This is what the unwrapping looks like for those who have not seen it before - it makes for quite a pile!  All this will be brought back to Stamford today and matched up with any pictures which remain unsold so that they  can all be returned to their artists.

After the pictures have been unpacked!

Equipped to hang:  After the unpacking comes the check to make sure a mirror plate had been fixed.  As this was a new requirement this year Derek Waugh (Judith's husband), Malcolm Cudmore and Pauline's partner Paul were kept very busy fitting and refitting mirror plates for those that arrived without using a lot of muscle and, in some cases, ingenuity to get every picture ready to hang.

Pauline Longley watching the fixing of the mirror plates

Designing the Exhibition:  Pat used the tried and tested method of grouping the exhibits in loose categories and laying out exhibits on the floor to get a pleasing balance and mix of styles. This year  Pauline Longley and Beverley Courtney kindly moved the pictures around until Pat, severely hampered by her broken wrist and ribs, was satisfied.

Hanging on the floor - BEFORE

The "Hang":  Next comes getting the pictures off the wall and onto the wall.  Two "three man" teams of hangers went to work (apologies as I don't have your names) to get the approved format of pics onto the wall.  As a bit of competition crept in, they made short work of the hanging.  The result was an exhibition hung in good time and a very pleasing display with each picture having the chance to speak for itself alongside other entries.

Hanging on the very same wall AFTER

Part of the UKCPS Annual Exhibition 2010

Once the exhibition is up the online team take over the hang on the website and blog! UKCPS webmaster Liz Ridley worked really fast to produce the online exhibition on the UKCPS website and to get all the pictures up on the website in the correct place against each award.

The picture juggling issue is always a major logistical effort since we never know who's won what until the Private View and it's impossible to create web pages or draft blog posts in advance.  Speaking personally, I'm extremely grateful to Liz for the extra work she did this year getting all the images formatted and sized right for loading onto the Internet on both the website and blog.

It should be noted this is one area where UKCPS is still in advance of most national art societies in terms of letting people see the work exhibited in the show online at the same time as the exhibition is on display.

The Private View in the evening was well organised and well attended - see UKPCS Annual Exhibition 2010: Private View

Thanks to the Demonstrators

After the Hang and the Private View comes the demonstrations by members of UKCPS.  See Demonstrators at the UKCPS Annual Exhibition for names.  Demonstrations were run virtually throughout the exhibition which is a major achievement.  They showed interested members of the public some of the techniques that resulted in such an amazing and diverse range of works had been created.

Day 1: Jo Goudie and Suzie Herbert demonstating, Malcolm Cudmore is behind his easel!

If you fancy demonstrating in November, the UKCPS will be Art Materials Live at the NEC and volunteers are welcome - see TP for details.

The Society extends its grateful thanks to all those member volunteers that helped so cheerfully.

Thanks also to....

The people without whom UKCPS could not have an Annual Exhibition at the Stamford Arts Centre or given awards to the top artwork this year.

• The UKCPS 2010 Sponsors - Caran d'Ache - makers of Pablo, Luminance 6901, Museum and Supracolor pencils - who help UKCPS to exhibit at the Stanford Arts Centre.
• the three jurors who independently reviewed and rated all the entries to the competition. 
• all those sponsoring and providing awards - Caran d'Ache (see Winner of Best in Show 2010 is... ), Derwent, Faber-Castell, Lyra, Staedtler, Ann James Massey SWA, KA, CPSA, UKCPS (Presidents Award), ex Chairman Peter Weatherill UKCPS (Best Landscape) and Harper Collins (Ann Swan Botanical Award) - see 9th Annual Open International Exhibition: Other Prizewinners

Reminder:  Don't forget the UKCPS AGM starts today at 5pm at the Stamford Arts Centre

Stamford Arts Centre

UKCPS Annual General Meeting: 1st October 5pm

This is from Elizabeth Frearson, the Chair of UKCPS

Here is a reminder to all our members that it is the AGM next Friday (1st October) at 5pm at the Stamford Arts Centre with a social gathering afterwards.  We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible there. 

Under the Constitution of the Society, the committee roles are formally ratified at the AGM.  If there are any alternative candidates seeking appointment to any committee post at the AGM please could you let the Chair know by midday 30th September by e-mailing chair@ukcps.co.uk.  If you wish to raise any other business it would be likewise useful to do so in advance because the committee are having a meeting that morning and can be prepared with a consensus view for a  better use of the time available.

Agenda for the AGM:

1. UKCPS Committee 
2. Scope of the Society
3. Sponsorship
4. 10th birthday celebrations and the annual exhibition
5. Keswick
6. NEC and the resources available
7. Venues for future exhibitions
8. Communication with Membership
9. The Web
10. Forums
11. Membership
12. Local Groups
13. Schools
14. Any Other Business - Timing of the AGM, Private View, committee meeting and incorporation into the annual exhibition 

Looking forward to meeting you all there.

Note: The UKCPS Annual Exhibition at the Stamford Arts Centre Gallery will be closed next Monday

Susan Christopher Coulson at the Pencil Museum

Susan Christopher Coulson
with her suite of five botanical drawings in coloured pencils
Society of Botanical Artists Annual Exhibition 2009
photographed by Katherine Tyrrell with permission of the SBA

RHS Gold Medallist Susan Christopher Coulson SBA GM uses Derwent Artists Pencils for her botanical artwork.  She will demonstrating and teaching at the Cumberland Pencil Museum in Keswick between 28th-30th September.

Free Demonstrations of Derwent Artist Pencils


You can see her demonstrating her use of Artists Pencils at the Cumberland Pencil Museum on 28th and 29th September.

FREE Demonstration event.
Explore the detail of botanical flowers and seasonal fruit using Derwent Artists Pencils.
Please collect a ticket from reception which entitles you to one hours FREE tuition. Demonstrations run between 10am until 4pm

Tuition Workshop - Flora and Fruit Pencil Illustration with Susan Christopher Coulson

The Pencil Museum is also running a fee-paying workshop with Susan on 30th September - see the website for more details.

Workshops run between 10.30am – 4.30pm. 
£40 per person per workshop. 
A 10% discount is offered for any two or more workshops booked at any one time.

Karen Coulson demonstrating at Pencil Museum

Siberian Owl by Karen Coulson (SOLD)
currently on display in 9th Annual Open International Exhibition
at the Stamford Arts Centre

UKCPS member Karen Coulson UKCPS is demonstrating Studio Pencils at the Cumberland Pencil Museum in Keswick on 21st - 22nd September 2010.

FREE event! 
Draw Eagles, Owls, and Birds of Prey, using Derwent Studio pencils, you will be amazed at the interesting effects that can be created using this versatile coloured pencil. 
Collect your ticket from the Museum reception which entitles you to one hour's FREE tuition. 
Demonstrations run from 10am until 4pm. 
For more information just call the Museum on 017687 73626.

Karen's picture "Longleat Lions" won first prize in 2005 at the "World of Coloured Pencil Exhibition"also held at the Pencil Museum.

UKPCS Annual Exhibition 2010: Private View

The Private View, last Monday evening, of the 9th Annual Open International Exhibition held by the United Kingdom Coloured Pencil Society at the Stamford Arts Centre was well attended.

UKCPS 2010: Landscapes

UKCPS 2010: Portraits of People

UKCPS  2010: a sample of still life

The room in which the Exhibition is being held is large, light and airy and enables easy circulation and viewing of the artwork on the walls.  Above is a small selection of the works on show.

Private View

Judith and Derek Waugh laid on a lovely spread and there was a most congenial atmosphere as staff at the Arts Centre, artists and their friends mingled and enjoyed the works of art.

The main comment heard was "the standard is even higher this year" and "I can't believe that that is coloured pencil".

New signature members of UKCPS (2010)

Bliss by Lesley Galton UKCPS

The artists listed below gained signature status as a result of exhibiting at this year's  9th Annual Open International Exhibition held by the United Kingdom Coloured Pencil Society.

Uncommon Scents
by Martin Vela UKCPS

New Signature members of UKCPS

Every year the the aim of the Annual Open International Exhibition is to prove what can be accomplished using just coloured pencils. 

If an artist is successful in getting into this show three times within a five year span, they are entitled to put the letters UKCPS after their name.  

• Kate Clarke is a professional portrait artist and illustrator living and working in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire.  In 2009 she won the Best in Show Award
  
• Sue Clinker is a full time artist living in Whitstable in Kent and working mainly to commission.  One of her works was awarded 'Reserve Best in Show' at the 9th Annual Open International Exhibition this year.
• Pauline Longley lives in Glastonbury and specialises in portraiture of both animals and people.  She's an active member of the society and has recently taken on the co-ordination of UKCPS Local Groups (Apologies to Pauline for missing her out inadvertently on first publication of this post)
• Martin Vela lives in New Mexico and is also a member of CPSA and the New Mexico District Chapter of the Colored Pencil Society of America. His work was awarded Best in Show in 2006.

Mindy by Ann Massey UKCPS

New Silver Signature members of UKCPS

Silver Signature status is granted when the artist has had pictures accepted into 5 Annual Open Exhibitions within 10 years.

• Elisabeth Aubury began Botanical Illustration ten years ago and gained an HNC in Botanical Illustration in 1999. She is also a founder member of the Birmingham Society of Botanical Artists
• Lesley Galton adores big cats and travels widely both here and abroad to photograph them for her artwork.  She is also a member of the Tadworth Art Group
• Ann James Massey is currently the President of the UKCPS and has won awards for her wax pencil drawings
• Judith Waugh helped to organise the venue for this year's exhibition and is demonstrating during the exhibition.  She is an animal lover who sells pictures and prints to raise money for the local animal sanctuary
  
• Peter Woof works in the realist tradition and has exhibited at the Royal Academy, Mall Galleries and many other galleries in England and abroad.

The images featured in this post are from works submitted by members not otherwise featured in blog posts about the exhibition this week. Links in their names are to their websites.

Tillansia Bulbosa by Elizabeth Aubery UKCPS

Highly commended at the 9th Annual Open International Show

See work which was Highly Commended at the 9th Annual Open International Show below.

Bessie by Brian Ainsworth

Siberian Eagle Owl by Karen Coulson UKCPS

Take a Pick by Irina Garmashova-Cawton

In Velvet by Jo Goudie UKCPS

Stornaway Crow by Jo Goudie UKCPS

Rainforest Dreaming by Bev Lewis UKCPS

Charlie by Pauline Longley UKCPS

Uncommon Scents by Martin Vela UKCPS

Topiary Levens by Peter Woof UKCPS

9th Annual Open International Exhibition: Other Prizewinners

The other prizes and prizewinners at the 9th Annual Open International Show at the are as follows:

UKCPS Runner Up - Sue Clinker UKCPS

Daydreaming Tiger by Sue Clinker UKCPS

"I photographed this tiger at the Wildlife Heritage Trust in Kent – he was propped up in the corner staring into space for nearly ten minutes. I love his ‘Uncle Albert’ beard".

President's Award - Kate Clarke UKCPS

Challenging Stereotypes - a triptych by Kate Clarke UKCPS

Staedtler Award - Irina Garmashova-Cawton

Strawberries by Irina Garmashova-Cawton

Derwent Award - Peter Woof UKCPS

Japanese Still Life by Peter Woof UKCPS

Faber Castell Award - Brian Ainsworth

Ross by Brian Ainsworth

Lyra Award - Janie Pirie (Mrs Thorogood)

Plum and Blossom 'Majories Seedling' by Janie Pirie

Ann Swan Award - Janie Pirie (Mrs Thorogood)

Pear 'Conference' by Janie Pirie

Peter Weatherill Award - Jean Canter UKCPS

Surrey Spring Elstead Moat Pond by Jean Canter UKCPS

You can see work by award winners and other selected artists at the Stamford Arts Centre, 27 St. Marys Street, Stamford, PE9 2DL between now and Friday 1st October (Monday to Saturday 9am to 9pm)