Apparently, for some, an endeavor can be both a challenge and come easily. This paradox is confirmed by Kosciusko artist Michelle Townsend’s first-ever attempt at drawing a tree.
“I find people the easiest to draw,” she said. “But, recently I’ve tried branching out.”
Her drawings suggest that walking the line between precision and feeling is one of her strengths. Just as she can note the changes in direction the branch of a tree might make, and not compromise fluidity, she can reproduce the features of a face accurately without sacrificing emotion.
Townsend said she enjoyed drawing as a child, but that it was during high school when she began to intentionally develop her abilities.
“I took every art class offered,” she said.
Though classrooms would eventually become part of her past, her art education did not.
“I’m a big believer in self-education,” she said. “I’ve checked out more art books than I can count from the Attala County Library – a ton of artist biographies. I think that’s the best way to learn how to do art.”
Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Rembrandt and Van Gogh are her favorite artists, though she alludes to their drawings when most think of their paintings.
“I love working in pencil,” she said. “To me, the medium captures the nostalgia of cherished black-and-white photos while adding a certain delicacy and beauty.”
Interestingly, Townsend is currently at work capturing the “delicacy and beauty” of a lightning-struck tree that stands roadside on Natchez Trace, about four miles outside of Kosciusko.
Townsend has been commissioned for many portraits, as well as drawings of family pets. She may be reached at michelletownsendart@yahoo.com.
