May’s Featured Artists

With a few strokes of a brush, Marilyn Knell brings animals to life.

Knells is one of five artists being featured by the Artist Colony of Zanesville this month. The five artists make up Tower Galleries and Studios. Knell started painting abstracts a decade ago and has since switched her focus to animals. She describes herself as an animal advocate.

“That’s kind of where my heart is, and I see a lot of need there, so trying to do something minus just making pictures for my walls I thought I could make some statements too,” Knell said.

She even donates some of the profits from her animal paintings to animal rights groups. She said while she enjoys giving animals a face, but her favorite part is seeing the work come to life.

“Really the favorite part is just doing it, just getting lost in it and seeing for example a face come out when you’re working on it,” Knell said. “Then all of a sudden the face comes out and it’s very exciting.”

Knell said all five of Tower Studios’ artists are thrilled to be the featured gallery for the month of May. She said they’ve really evolved since the last time they were featured. Tower Studios is located on the 5th floor of the Masonic Temple Building.