About our people
Alyona Nickelsen
Alyona Nickelsen is the creative and innovative mind behind the beautiful products that we are proud to represent at Magic Pencil. She is the founder of Brush and Pencil and author of two best selling books on coloured pencil.
From the beginning, Alyona's favourite mediums were graphite and charcoal. However, coloured pencils captured her inspiration and creativity. "I began to understand that a medium I had overlooked from childhood could do so much more than just sketch and produce a wondrous array of colours and tones. I discovered new systems and methods that changed my perceptions and moulded the results into something much more than I had ever thought possible", she says. "People always ask me: ‘Are you sure this is colored pencil?’"
Alyona's paintings really don't look like what you would expect from coloured pencils. She applies 20 or more layers of colour to give the drawing an oil painting effect – a process she calls “coloured pencil painting” because of its surprising realism and intricacy. "Knowledge of the medium's essences, constant improvement of skills, tools and techniques, searching for new ways to use the medium and being open to experimentation are crucial keys for success. Hard work and passion brings results.” We share in Alyona’s philosophy of improvement, learning and experimentation.
Moya Deacon Radley
Moya Deacon Radley is a self-taught artist, who works in coloured pencil, pastel and oil as media. She enjoys describing botanical subjects using coloured pencil, and uses the products that are sold by Magic Pencil extensively in her art. Her love of the Brush and Pencil products, and her experimentation, use and teaching on the use coloured pencil and on these specific products, prompted her to take over the reigns of Magic Pencil from Sonja Hay. Sonja Hay is the original founder of Magic Pencil, and is an established artist in her own right who produces beautiful and inspiring coloured pencil art - again, using the beautiful Brush and Pencil products in her work.
Moya’s philosophy is grounded in the love of learning on art, and learning from other artists, books, huge mistakes, YouTube videos, paid online courses and curiously happy mistakes. She understands the journey of development in art, and is passionate about helping other artists on their journeys in the application of coloured pencil and supporting products.
She is thrilled to represent Brush and Pencil products in New Zealand, and her vision is to use Magic Pencil to support the development of art and artists who use coloured pencil.