ON THE COVER
Drawing for Joy
Joyce Cox uses pencil art to get creative in retirement
When Marion ’ s Joyce Cox was a child , she was absolutely intrigued by the idea of living an artist ’ s life . But her family discouraged her from it , telling her she was not good enough to make a career out of her artwork . They also made it clear they would not support her interest in going to art school .
When Cox retired in 2014 after 22 years working in hospice care , she knew exactly how she wanted to spend her newfound free time – by using her artistic abilities to create .
She has taken a variety of art-related classes at the Meridian Activities Center , and also has joined a number of Facebook groups to learn more about various techniques and forms of artwork . Colored pencil art quickly became her favorite medium .
The tools that she uses are not the dry , lead-filled colored pencils most people might think of when they hear about this art form .
Instead , Cox uses Prismacolor pencils , which have a waxy , buttery texture . These professional grade pencils , which cost about $ 3 each , can be easily blended and layered . In fact , the colors blend so well that some artists actually consider the art form to be a form of painting instead of coloring or penciling .
Finding her happy medium
Whatever the name , Cox says that the craft brings her great joy . She spends hours online , learning new techniques for blending colors and just enjoying the work of other artists . She also does commissioned pieces , often creating portraits of pets , people and homes .
She has entered and won a few art contests , and had some of her
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