Through meticulous layering of complementary colors and strategic manipulation of ordinary objects—flowers, shells, candy, fruit, toys—I reveal the extraordinary within the everyday. My colored pencil technique allows me to achieve both precision and rich color depth, building dimension through multiple layers until achieving a luminous quality reminiscent of oil painting.

My creative process centers on the thoughtful orchestration of composition, color, and light. While my work appears realistic at first glance, closer inspection unveils unexpected color combinations that create vibrant shadows and highlights. This deliberate use of color transforms ordinary items, showing not just how objects appear, but how they feel when truly seen.

Each piece invites viewers to pause and rediscover the beauty hidden within our familiar surroundings—finding moments of wonder in the subtle interplay of light and color that gives our world dimension.

BIOGRAPHY

Arlene Steinberg, CPSA, has been creating art since childhood. While still in high school, she sold needlepoint designs to stores and manufacturers, even creating a needlepoint cover for a trade magazine. After studying art at Syracuse University, Arlene built a successful 20-year career as a textile and wallpaper designer and manufacturer before discovering colored pencils in 2000.

Arlene's work focuses on the color and light found in everyday objects. Working primarily on Stonehenge paper, she developed a distinctive technique of layering complementary colors to create rich shadows and brilliant hues that have become her signature style. In 2008, North Light Books published Arlene's book Masterful Color, available in paperback and on e-readers.

The Artist's Magazine, Southwest Art, American Artist, American Artist Drawing Magazine and other publications have featured her artwork and methods. A Signature member of the Colored Pencil Society of America for 18 years and one of the few artists juried into more than 15 shows, Arlene is also a juried member of the Salmagundi Club and the International Guild of Realism. Her award-winning work has been exhibited in galleries and museums across the United States.