Portraits in Colour Pencil

maddy I was born in the Netherlands where I grew up and lived as a child. I spent much of my childhood drawing and experimenting with paints, crayons, pencils and other media, and I loved getting my hand dirty with clay! I discovered a talent for drawing figures at quite a young age. As a teenager I realised I was able to produce quite life-like portraits, and I chased family members and friends around to try and capture them (willingly or unwillingly;-)).

I went on to study art in England after my secondary education, and went to the Medway College of Design in Rochester, Kent, in 1970 where I studied graphic illustration and fine art. We moved to Germany and there I worked as a freelance illustrator on and off. After quite a long break from drawing I took up my old hobby of drawing portraits again after we had settled in our new home back in Kent in 1994. I have always loved drawing people, especially children, but I also enjoy drawing pets. These days I am working much more seriously as a portrait artist taking on commissions. More recently I have also taken up oils and pastels, and I have to say my other most favourite medium is watercolours. See my Gallery Pages.

My work is occasionally on display at local art galleries around Kent and Canterbury, and I attend craft fairs in the area where I display coloured pencil portraits, drawings and watercolours.

MURALS TOO
Another area I have explored is the painting of murals. I joined my friend Nikki Clark, and together we painted an Italian scene on a kitchen wall inside a private historic house in rural Kent. Take a look at some of our photographs. Later we also worked on and completed other projects in the same house (two bathrooms) and there is a plan to do more work there at some stage. - If you don't live too far away yourself and you are interested in our mural work then please let us know. If the distance is reasonable we can consider working for you, and we are always happy to hear from you.

I live in the beautiful Elham Valley in Kent, "The Garden of England", and here I have an abundance of material for drawing and painting landscapes. Please go to these gallery pages to view some of my work. And while on your travels surfing, visit the ELHAM VALLEY WEBSITE .

EXHIBITIONS & SHOWS

Colored Pencil Yahoo! Group - Member's Show 2002 - visit website

Ann Kullberg 5th Annual Member Show - visit website

The UK Coloured Pencil Society 1st Annual Exhibition - 2002 - visit website Patchings Farm Art Centre, Calverton, Nottinghamshire ENGLAND
The UK Coloured Pencil Society 2nd Annual Exhibition - 2003 - visit website Patchings Farm Art Centre, Calverton, Nottinghamshire ENGLAND

The UK Coloured Pencil Society 3rd Annual Exhibition - 2004 - visit website
Patchings Farm Art Centre, Calverton, Nottinghamshire ENGLAND

The UK Coloured Pencil Society 4th Annual International Exhibition - 2005 - visit website the Stable Gallery, Ronald Swanwick's Stable Art Centre, Kington, Herefordshire.

The World of Coloured Pencil, UKCPS 2nd year - April, 2004 - visit website
Cumberland Pencil Museum, Greta Bridge, Keswick, England

Lyminge Library - personal exhibition Dec 2001 & 2002

AWARDS

Derwent Award: The UK Coloured Pencil Society 3rd Annual Exhibition (2003), Calverton, Nottinghamshire, England

People's Prize: The World of Coloured Pencil, UKCPS 2nd year (2004), Cumberland Pencil Museum, Greta Bridge, Keswick, England

Caran d'Ache Award: The UK Coloured Pencil Society 3rd Annual International Exhibition (2005), Calverton, Nottinghamshire, England

Artist of the Month - 2004
Nicole Jahan - visit website

Artist of the Month - June 2000
SCRIBBLE! - visit website

Artist of the Week - Oct 2000
Pegasus Art Gallery - visit website

PUBLICATIONS & ONLINE FEATURES

Talking Point, UKCPS artist magazine - Feature - June 2002 (issue 5) - visit website

Artist & Illustrator magazine, 2003 (re A&I July exhibition)

The Artist magazine, April 2003 - visit website

Art magazine (online), Features - article about coloured pencils & UKCPS - visit website

The Art Paper, Daler-Rowney (visit website - archived article issue 26)

CP Challenge site feature, Jan 2003: Portrait lesson (visit website - visit feature)

Leisure Painter magazine UK, article Feb 2004 (visit website)

Two pictures included in art book "Drawing with Coloured Pencils" by author Jonathan Newey. Published October 2006, by New Holland Publishers of London. Artworks: "My Sweet Lolly", "Furry Friends". Available in all good bookshops (Ł14.99 in UK) worldwide and online stores such as Amazon.

MEMBERSHIPS

United Kingdom Coloured Pencil Society (UKCPS) - since 2001 visit website Signature Member - August 2004

Colored Pencil Society of America (CPSA) - since 2001 visit website

ART DEMONSTRATIONS

A & I SHOW 2003: 24 & 27 July: Portrait Demonstration
Design Centre, in Islington, London, UKCPS stand

A & I SHOW 2004: 23 July: Portrait Demonstration
Design Centre, in Islington, London, UKCPS stand