Art supply shops are a treasure trove of objects that spark excitement and inspiration – something new is so full of possibilities, even if you don’t know quite how you will use it straight away. A pack of six birch panels on special was something that caught my eye a year or more ago, and since then it has been waiting for something to happen.
I have seen how other artists use these, some for painting, others for pyrography (burning in an image with a hot tool) and some for drawing, which is what I planned to do. The push came from the fact I will be having an exhibition in May with a friend. I am intending to exhibit my recent drawings (see previous posts for examples) but wanted to add a splash of colour. This is where the panels come in.
The panels are 20 x 20 cm (8 x 8 in) and are ‘cradled’ which means that they have a wooden framework on the back, so hanging devices can be attached and they can be hung without any more framing. Four of the six are completed, the last two are in progress.
The grain of the wood is so nice I didn’t want to hide it, but have it become part of the drawings. I didn’t prepare the surface in any way, but will spray with fixative as each is finished, and will add a light spray of varnish at the end to protect the final image.
Floral subject matter was the choice I made, using collaged references that I have collected over the years, often using them for oil paintings. They are inspiration only, I change colours, forms and crop the images differently to achieve the results I want.
The medium is coloured pencils, Caran d’Ache Luminance with some Derwent Lightfast as they take beautifully to the surface and can be layered to create the mingled colours that I want. Wood is a hungry surface to work on, the pencils need constant sharpening. To intensify the colours in a few spots I rubbed in a bit of oil pastel, but in the main the medium was the pencils.
anna warren portfolio 
This is a revealing post as you show your pictures in various states of development. Each state is as fascinating as the other states. I very much like the earliest states where some of each panel has big areas of only line drawing. In these one may admire your loose strokes. But as the drawings develop they grow in richness and sheer lusciousness. I can imagine these panels within your exhibition positively glowing off the walls as if they are lit from within.
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You know, in many ways I like the unfinished pieces best. When I started them I had a vague idea of doing that, but I found I just kept on going, so now the set has to work in the same way!
If I do more of these (and I think I will) maybe I will control that urge to ‘finish’ and keep them much more open!
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There’s unique qualities in both. I like how some art we make becomes a signpost for future art – and judging by your comment, your unfinished pieces are in the signpost category.
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It’s always good to have ideas for future work stored away – I think ‘signpost’ sums that up perfectly!
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These are gorgeous – I have drawn on clayboard panels but you have now inspired me to consider the birch panels thankyou
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I’m so glad it has inspired you! The birch panels won’t be as smooth to work on as claybord (a surface I like but haven’t used for a while) but the texture makes it very satisfying. I’m just trying out a plywood panel, well sanded and liking it!
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