Meghan Maconochie found inspiration within classrooms. A teacher by profession, she uses pencils to make her artworks but not in the conventional way. Rather than opting for the usual drawing or sketching, using graphite-clay core, Meghan utilizes pencil shavings to create vibrant artworks ranging from portraits of Marilyn Monroe and John Lennon to those featuring characters like Homer and Bart from The Simpsons. Under a series called the 365 Day Instagram Challenge, the South African artist posts these artworks regularly and has a huge fan following on her Instagram page.
Homer Simpson
John Lennon
Meghan Maconochie begins by sketching an initial design and layers the pencil shavings onto the white background. She applies a layer of shavings over the outer edge of the drawing and eventually fills the spaces to create a sculptural look. The coloured pencils are sharpened by hand, which often turns out to be a time consuming process. While some take minutes to complete, detailed and larger pieces may even take hours. After arranging the colorful elements and completing the designs, Meghan documents her artworks via photographs but tosses out the shavings as soon as she’s done taking the pictures.
Vespa
I like to create pieces that people can relate to and recognize. I very much create what inspires me that particular day or week, whether it be music, film, people or other artists.
The peculiarity of using coloured pencil shavings as the main substance to depict pop culture icons, food, animals and a variety of other images, highlights the uniqueness of her creations.
