Why pencil?

Why pencil?

Pencil chose me.

It has to be said: I never had a look in.

Never sat down, pensively, too decide on which medium to use.

Never had the time to be rational, logical or calculating.

My heart and pencils collided when my brain was looking the other way.

They have been as thick as thieves since.


"Past to Present"
pencil on paper, 2007
Sheona Hamilton-Grant. All rights reserved


The level of precision they achieve exciting.

The detail coaxed out of their tips astounding.

The world created beautiful.

They succeed, in a world devoid of colour, to fill it to the brim with nuances, delicate contrasts, strong shapes, influential hues and strong feelings.

Each smooth and flowing stroke crucial to the believable images.

Witnessing hues of grey tame and shape conflicting elements such as warm, cold, light ,dark, hard and soft is addictive.

An addiction which opens ones mind to a better understanding of form, shading, depth, light, transitional subtleties and strong composition.

Why pencil?

Simply: they have claimed my heart, my head, my hand.

Comments

Nice work! Fantastic
I love your picture and like you I love to work in pencil. I play around with watercolor and coloured pencils for a change but I just keep coming back to pencil and of course with animals and birds as my subject.
Lovely post! And lovely artwork by the way. I'm a huge fan. :-)
Margo said…
I say thank goodness the pencils have claimed you heart and soul. The world would be minus one fabulous artist if they hadn't!
Mary
Unknown said…
Thank you all so much for your warm comments, I'm flattered and bearing a big proud grin :D
lovely picture of the child holding hands :-)
Roger Brown Art said…
Great art work ,I love the ones of people,children interacting with animals ,and your details are superb!
April Jarocka said…
As ever, such beautiful work Sheona! Lovely to be back.
Arti said…
Your work never ceases to amaze,Sheona.
Unknown said…
Roger, April and Arti: hello all and thank you for your kind comments. Pencils rock !!!
Great article Sheona! Loved reading it, and it speaks for me as well. Yo do such beautiful work!!

Nancy

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