This Sunday we were very fortunate to take part in a coloured pencil workshop run by the very accomplished artist Janie Pirie. Janie has had a long career in the creative industries but has since specialised in Botanical Art with coloured pencils – earning herself two RHS Gold Medals and many other accolades. Just recently (2019) Janie has published her own book of roses – Rosa, a life of roses, which really shows off her stunning work. The workshop was well attended and Janie guided us all through a variety of techniques with coloured pencils, encouraging a smooth painterly result. She was very generous with her tips and advice and by the end of the day there were many fabulous pictures of our chosen apple or pear ( which we had been asked to draw prior to the workshop so that we could all get on with the ‘real’ work of using our coloured pencils). Overall, the workshop was enjoyed by everyone and we found that the time went quickly, a sure sign of time well spent. Moira Ashby
