Well known local artist Mollie Townsend will be exhibiting a series of pictures depicting the story of Daedalus, father of Icarus, the Minotaur (half bull, half man) and the doomed flight of Icarus who flew too close to the sun on wings held together with wax.
The series of linocuts, silk-screen prints and mixed media renderings are to be exhibited from Saturday March 5 until the end of the month at the St James Retirement Hotel, 66 Main Road, St James, between 10am to 3pm daily.
Born in South Africa in 1921, Ms Townsend has lived in Zambia and Botswana and designed postage stamps for that country. She authored a book on her ancestor, the Scottish painter and engraver, James Stewart (1791-1863) who emigrated to South Africa with his family in 1834, and is known for her book Light in False Bay, a book of her paintings with brief biographies of places from Cape Point to Hangklip.
Ms Townsend studied at the Academie de la Grande Chaumiere, Paris, and the Michaelis School of Art, University of Cape Town, graduating with a BA (Fine Art).
She has exhibited in solo and group exhibitions in South Africa and Europe, and won an award for an etching exhibited in Italy in 1980. She worked with other artists at the Graphic Workshop in Claremont and later Observatory.
Between 1996 and 2001 Ms Townsend created a series of drawings, linocuts and silkscreen prints on the story of Icarus in her studios in her home in Fish Hoek. Since 2011 she has lived in St James and continues to pursue her art.
Ms Townsend has scheduled time to talk art students through her process. Small groups of up to 10 are invited to apply.
Teachers may contact her at molli.t@ telkomsa.net, 021 709 0708 or 021 788 8931.
