NEWS

Ariana Grande a favorite subject for young artist

Leonard Hayhurst
Community Content Coordinator
  • Holly McCoy has artwork on display this month at the West Lafayette Public Library.
  • The Ridgewood junior has been drawing seriously since seventh grade.
  • Singer Ariana Grande is one of McCoy%27s favorite subjects.
  • McCoy likes to start with the eyes on drawings%2C because of how expressive they are.

WEST LAFAYETTE – As a child, Holly McCoy always begged her mother, Kathy, to make drawings for her of the cartoon character Kim Possible.

A drawing of pop singer Ariana Grande sits in Holly McCoy’s room. Grande is McCoy’s favorite subject.

One day, she made her own sketch of Scooby-Doo. Now, the Ridgewood High School junior has created more than 100 portraits in a variety of media. Samples of her work are on display this month at the West Lafayette Public Library, and others will be shown later this spring part of the Teenage Talent exhibit at the Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum.

When asked whether she has a favorite person to draw, McCoy's face lights up and she starts nodding her head before the question is finished. McCoy has loved singer Ariana Grande since she was on the television series "Victorious" and will be seeing her in concert Thursday in Cleveland.

McCoy's sketchbooks are filled with drawings of the Grammy-nominated singer, and a collage of pictures hangs on her bedroom wall. Grande was one of the first real people McCoy drew.

"One thing is her eyes are really different from everybody else's," McCoy said. "Her features are really different from other people, the shape of her head. She's just really fun to draw."

After making a basic outline, the eyes are where McCoy usually starts a figure. The eyes are the windows to the soul, as the old saying goes, and is how McCoy invests herself in a piece.

"I feel you can add more details to the eyes than anything else," she said.

McCoy likes to use her talents to help friends and her school. She's drawing oversized queen playing cards for West Lafayette Homecoming Queen Olivia Brady to use as decoration at a queen's luncheon this summer.

In her basement, McCoy has cutouts of the Mad Hatter, Alice and the White Rabbit she did for Ridgewood's homecoming, which had an "Alice in Wonderland" theme.

Drawing for Disney films would be a dream come true for her. While her college plans are still formulating, McCoy said she is sure drawing and being an artist are somehow part of her future.

Unlike other kids whose free time is spent with television and video games, McCoy can usually be found with a pencil in hand and a sketchbook in her lap. Her mother said McCoy will silently draw for hours, and she's glad her daughter has found her niche.

"There are people who are really good at running or really good at singing, and you wish you had a talent like that. When you have your own talent, it's good when people see it and think it's great," McCoy said. "I'm glad I'm blessed with a talent."

llhayhur@coshoctontribune.com

740-295-3417

Twitter: @llhayhurst

If you go

What: Display of portraits in a variety of media by Holly McCoy

When: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Wednesday, noon to 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday and noon to 2 p.m. Saturday throughout March

Where: West Lafayette Branch Library, 601 E. Main St.