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“River Pebbles, No. 12”

Title: River Pebbles, No. 12

  • Size: 6" x 6"
  • Medium: Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils (Verithin and Softcore), Caran d'Ache Luminance Colored Pencils
  • Tools: Tortillions, Paper Stumps
  • Surface: Extra Fine Texture Canvas primed with several coats of clear Art Spectrum Colourfix Primer
  • Technique: Icarus Drawing Board
  • Mounted on a 6" x 6" x 2" Ampersand Claybord and varnished
  • To see how I mount and varnish my artwork, please refer to my post on Glassless Framing.

The outline was accomplished with Prismacolor Verithin on the cool zone of the Icarus board.

In this step I blocked-in the main colors on the warm zone with very low heat, just enough to soften the waxy pigments.

After setting the temperature control at medium, I began adding pigment until the canvas was completely covered. I then blended the colors with a tortillon or a paper stump.

I really enjoyed this piece. However, now that it's finished, I wish I made it larger. The swirls of colors would have looked even better on a 12" x 12". It probably would have taken me the same amount of time had I incorporated wax pastels (Neocolors).

I just mounted the canvas on a 6" x 6" x 2" Claybord. Soon I can varnish it, photograph it, and put it for sale on my website.

 

Open Studio Announcement

My next open studio will be Saturday, March 22nd, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, four spaces available.

This is an opportunity to meet and share your artwork in progress, ask questions, watch me demonstrate the Icarus technique and try the Icarus board.

I will have boards set-up for all attendees, plus some basic supplies and refreshments. To sign up please email me at: [email protected].

This event is on a first-come, first-served basis, and if you don't make this one there will be more announced regularly on this blog and on Facebook.

Please bring:

your artwork, finished or in progress
your questions​
your curiosity

I'm looking forward to seeing you on March 22nd!

 

Review on ARCH2O.com

Great news! I had a wonderful article written on Arch2O.com, a website that reviews and critiques architecture, urbanism, art, and design.

The writer, Aiysha Alsane, says: "Ester Roi’s success lies in how she shares her discoveries with an audience: using a unique technique, she helps the audience see an everyday phenomenon in a refined and new light... Her pieces are studies of phenomena she has observed in nature, an interaction of two objects, a solid and fluid, yet her paintings transport the viewer to a different world. I, personally, won’t ever see the union of rocks and water the same again."

For the full article please visit Arch2O.com

 

“Beneath the Blue”

Title: Beneath the Blue
Size: 15" x 20" - after framing 26" x 31"
Medium: Prismacolor Premier, Caran d'Ache Luminance, Derwent Coloursoft, Faber-Castell Polychromos colored pencils
Tools: tortillions and paper stumps
Surface: Art Spectrum Colourfix Supertooth board
Technique: Icarus Drawing Board
Presentation: mounted on a 3/4" Ampersand Claybord, varnished and framed

Getting back to flowers after a long hiatus was exhilarating. As you can see, Beneath the Blue, as all my flower paintingsis depicting a daisy below the water surface.

Here's an excerpt from my artist statement that gives you some insight on my vision: "Water transforms everything it touches: hard lines become soft, warm colors cool, solid shapes break down into parts. Realism evolves into abstraction and the ordinary becomes extraordinary. The interplay between these realms is an endless source of inspiration for me."

For original and giclee information please click here.

 

“Unveiled” Sold

I'm so thrilled my largest artwork to date, Unveiled, sold this morning and is going to a good home in Florida.

2014 has been good to me so far. I'm very grateful!

 

From Big to Small, From Rocks to Flowers

After finishing my largest artwork to date, Unveiled, a rock piece measuring 24" x 48", I've now resumed working smaller and have chosen to do flowers again. 

Below you can see a sneak peek of the artwork I'm about to finish, a daisy underwater, measuring 15" x 20".

Soon I will be working even smaller. I've decided to create more 6" x 6" pieces mounted on 2" Claybords (see picture below). This series was very succesfull and will provide me with a sense of accomplishment as I'm starting another large canvas, a 24" x 48", this time a commission.

 

Art Innovation of the Year Award

I'm very honored and thrilled to be the joint recipient of the MAKING A MARK Art Innovation of the Year Award again! 

"MAKING A MARK" is artist Katherine Tyrrell's world renown blog where she "... writes about art for artists and art lovers". The Art Innovation of the Year Award was established by Katherine to "highlight those artist bloggers who experiment and/or create and/or share innovations which help the practice of other artists". 

Here is an excerpt of Katherine's blog post: "Ester for me is one of a few coloured pencil artists (and inventors) who have a proper appreciation of how to bring coloured pencil art (and inventions!) to the market in a way which gets it taken seriously. It's one thing to produce it, it's quite another to get it sold! ...Ester Roi has started to: produce oversized giclee prints from works in coloured pencil ...uses canvas in order to produce larger originals using coloured pencils (24" x 48")."

Please visit MAKING A MARK to read about all the other 2013 award winners.

Have a joyful, healthy and peaceful New Year!

 

My New Facebook Page

Two weeks ago I started a Facebook Page because my personal profile was getting close to its maximum friend limit. 

Although this blog gives me the opportunity to dwell more deeply into my art journey, the facebook page offers a daily window into my art, technique, and life as an artist.

I invite everyone to like my page if you haven't done so already. Here's the direct link: Ester Roi - Artist and Inventor

Thank you for your continued support!

 

Open Studio Announcement

On Saturday, January 25th, from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon, I will host my first free "Open Studio" for a maximum of four artists. This is an opportunity to meet and share your artwork in progress, ask questions, watch me demonstrate the Icarus technique and try the Icarus board.

I will have boards set-up for all attendees, plus some basic supplies and refreshments. To sign up please email me at esterroi@gmail. com.

This event is on a first-come, first-served basis, so if you don't make this one there will be more announced regularly on my blog and Facebook.

Bring:

  • your artwork, finished or in progress
  • your colored pencils in use
  • your questions​
  • your curiosity

I'm looking forward to seeing you on January 25th!