Best of Colored Pencil 5

Rating:
Summary: Accomplished Work for a poorly understood medium
Review: The CPSA is doing good work on behalf of the colored pencil. Recently they have established an annual experimental show for those artists using the medium for more avant garde ideas. This is good for demonstrating the versatiity color pencil can offer. With this book based on the fifth annual show (the CPSA is about to have it's 10th) we see a greater depth of subject matter being handled by artists. Still...some 34 works/pages in this book are devoted to the traditional fruit/flowers crowd. Some indeed are exceptional, others not. I am, however, drawn to those artists who are doing other bolder more imaginative work. Luckily some very good examples are included in this book. I recommend you add the book to your library if you are a color pencil artist.

Rating:
Summary: Great coffee table book, inpirational
Review: This is a beautiful coffee table book for colored pencil artists and enthusiasts. Subjects span a wide range from people to landscapes to animals and still life works. There is something here to suit almost anyone's taste. This wonderful variety truly shows off the possibilities of the medium.

Some of my favorites include Donna Basile's close-up baby face, Carol Tomasik's "Flying Fish", and an American Indian on horse titled "Me-A-Pa-Te" by Stan Pawelczyk. I also enjoyed Elizabeth Holster's "Isle Royale Portage"; this landscape could easily be mistaken for a photograph it is so vivid. I would have to say my absolute favorite is by "Wing Nuts" by Mike Russell. It's hard to describe, but it's very unique. It shows sunflowers and bees in a fantasy scene.

I really like that instead of just listing the basics about each piece, like title, size and paper used, they also include commentary from the artist who created it. This gives you insight into what the artist was thinking and adds a personal touch to the book. A Directory of artists, as well as a glossary, is also included in the back. This makes a great gift for any colored pencil artist.

Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable
Review: This is an enjoyable book for me, primarily because it was written by a friend of my mother's with my mother Elizabeth Holster's drawings in the book.

Rating:
Summary: Juried Colored Pencil Art Works
Review: This is the annual exhibition for colored pencil work and the good news is that the range of styles is getting wider. This medium has tended to attract only those artists with a photo-realistic style in the past. Now, more artists with styles not quite so realistic are becoming attracted to this medium as well. One still doesn't see the versatility that one sees in work from other media but that may well be coming. I bought this book and am enjoying studying the work within it.