Robert Lange Studios | 2/4-2/25 | Charleston, SC

It’s All Fun and Games

Kerry Simmons’ newest colored pencil works reveal timeless joy through childhood memories.

The innocent and carefree moments of childhood are at the center of artist Kerry Simmons’ newest series of colored pencil works. Each piece captures a familiar moment in time, one filled with joy and delight through childhood activities, dress up and more. The pieces, which include portraits, landscapes and narrative scenes, will be on view in the solo show Fun and Games at Robert Lange Studios February 4 through 25.

“I was interested in focusing on children for these works because I’d been [drawing] mostly adults, mostly women,” says Simmons. “I felt it was time to go backward into a different world, which I’m sure was inspired by my nieces and nephews and how adorable they are.”Ollie, Crabapple Island, colored pencil, 14 x 8"Simmons was also inspired by artists she has admired or past works of art that have intrigued her. The jumping off point can be seen in Bruegel’s Children’s Games, a work from 1560 that featured hundreds of children outdoors participating in many different games and activities. “It featured all the things kids do to entertain themselves and help them figure out the world—through the joy of play,” says Simmons. She adds that she also found relief in depicting these outdoor scenes as everyone has been holed up inside.Menagerie, colored pencil, 12 x 9"There are also calls to artists such as Robert Vickrey and Andrew Wyeth in landscape paintings such as Diggers and more narrative atmospheric works including Jacks. “A lot of Vickery’s work is of children playing on concrete drawing things. They’re in their own world and it’s clear that the sun is high or low in the sky…by how it touches everything,” describes Simmons. “I found them really compelling and relatable too.”

Her portraits focusing on the faces of children, including Menagerie and Flower Girl, show the beauty of the child while also suggesting their personalities. “That was inspired by Margaret Keane, who was known for her works of kids with big eyes. My grandma had a collection of Keane prints, so I saw them regularly and they were fascinating.”Hide and Seek, colored pencil, 12 x 16"

Diggers, colored pencil, 16 x 20"Simmons’ own technique and use of colored pencil are still the stars of the work, but these other artists helped her challenge herself in terms of new compositions and ideas that she hasn’t previously explored.“I am trying to push myself to break out of the standard and bring in some new compositions,” says Simmons. “This is the first time I really composed the work, using my own photos, but taking multiple photos and mashing them together. They’re not based on one realistic photo. I am putting things and people in scenes [from multiple images]. That was a new challenge that I set for myself and it was a focus on the composition and imagination.”Keep Out, colored pencil, 16½ x 13"Her artwork is detailed and highlights the color and effects she can achieve through drawing with colored pencils. “I’ve found it interesting to see how I can use them in more painterly ways—with glazes and building layers, and having areas that are very opaque and others that are transparent,” she explains. “I take things I know from painting and apply them to colored pencil.”Flower Girl, colored pencil, 17 x 14"

The Skeptic, colored pencil, 14 x 11"To complement the artwork, and add to the aesthetic, Simmons used salvaged frames for each piece. She says, “I collected vintage frames and refurbished them to all have a midcentury modern vibe in a throwback to that theme.”