I think this was my first colored pencil 
piece done as a class project in 1992.

My first colored pencil piece done
outside the classroom. (1993)

"Portrait of a Live Model", a class
project done in 1993.

I purchased this Walter Foster publication
which introduced me to burninshing. Up
until this time I was mainly coloring with
the colored pencils.

After following the directions in the book,
I made my first attempt at burnishing
and using heavier pressure. (1993)

My second attempt at burnishing and using
heavier pressure. Also an exercise in the
Walter Foster book. (1993)

My first attempt at working from my
own photograph. Also done in 1993.

This was my first large scale project. Some
of it is burnished but most of it is not. I learned
a great deal about colored pencils while working
on this portrait which was a study done from a
picture I found in a magazine. (1993)

The entire surface of this one was burnished.
I decided I really liked the way it looked
compared to what I had been doing.  A study
also done from a picture I found in a magazine. 
(1993)

"Kicking Bear"  - A study I did using
only black and white pencils. (1993)

Every thing I'd been learning seemed to come together in this study.  What made the difference was my desire to learn and not being satisfied with what I'd done before. My mistakes taught me more than anything elseI did.

I put the Portrait of a live model next
to the study of "Fancy Dancer" for comparison.
Everything up to this point was done in 1993
except for the drapery study.

I started this portrait of my oldest daughter in 1993. Regretably I put it away along with my pencils for six years. One afternoon I decided to finish it, since that day I have not stopped.

Our grandaughter Emma at her first birthday. She did not care about anything else but those baloons. I could not resist, I had to do her portrait. (2001)

Knowing I had to stop getting my subject matter from copyrighted material I set up my first still life. I still have this one. I have no idea what kind of paper it's on.

I cannot even believe this...I spent over 200 hours on this piece. I guess it's a good thing. I'm sure it had something  to do with my ability to do those plastic bags. If you are wondering it's a pine cone frozen in ice.

I went to my first Colored Pencil meeting in Dec of 2000 and entered my first competition in 2001 with this piece.  It was accepted in the 9th International Colored Pencil Exhibition - San Francisco, CA.

Friends...this piece stayed unfinished for a number of years. I changed several things from the original photograph.

This is Robynne. This is the piece I was working on when I accidently discovered colored pencil would blend with a brush. I've been painting with a dry medium ever since. I'm not even sure what year it was.

The only reason I did this piece is because I'd heard yellows were difficult. I've run in to quite a few things that were much more difficult but I had fun doing the piece.