Against the Grain

Working gradually and meticulously, Linda Lucas Hardy creates her colored pencil art using the dry brush technique

- By Linda Lucas Hardy

Pull to Open, colored pencil, 13 x 20 (33 x 50 cm)

Pull to Open is the second in a series of paintings focusing on a plastic bag rather than the fruit inside. What initially attracted me to the photo and caused me to want to do this piece was the fact that the plastic bag was illuminated by light, as well as the movement and direction of the bag as it flowed from the knot to the nectarines, and finally to the single drop of water.

Obsession might be too strong a word, but it comes pretty close. It’s not just colored pencils that I’m constantly thinking about, it’s art in general. If I’m not occupied with creating it myself, I’m searching the internet, magazines, and books—not only to see but also to closely examine the works of other artists whose work I admire most. Whether I am sitting in a restaurant, driving down the road, or walking through a market, all the while I’m wondering if someone or something I’m seeing would be a great subject for a painting. A sunset, a flower, or a rainy day, I see it all as art. For the better part of my life, I have been totally captivated.

Completing a project in colored pencil is a gradual process that takes gentle repetition of pencil applications. Colored pencil is not a medium that lends itself to quick results. Therefore, in order to be successful, it's important to have patience. The most important things to remember are applying light pressure at the beginning, layering, and keeping the pencil sharp at all times.