Noted local artist Mary Barber Cox donated her time and talent Wednesday morning to give a special art lesson to the students at the YMCA’s summer day camp.

Cox is a multi-talented artist, but is perhaps best known for her line drawings of noted local landmarks and buildings, some of which are no longer standing. Each year, she also etches a drawing onto the Bainbridge Downtown Development Authority’s official Christmas tree ornament.

Wednesday, YMCA Youth Sports Director Jim Holton introduced Cox to the excited group of about 40 young people.

“Today we have a famous artist who lives right here in Bainbridge,” he said. “She’s here today to share some of her talent with you. She has drawings of buildings from the 1920s and 30s, and some of them aren’t here anymore but they’re preserved in her artwork.”

Cox showed the students the way to draw a simple three-dimensional house. She explained that the lines’ intersections help add depth to a normally flat drawing, and also noted that artists try to use minimal force on their pencil leads.

“When you really bare down on the pencil, the pencil starts ‘screaming,’” she told the kids with a laugh. “Try drawing as lightly as you can.”

At the end of the class, the children proudly showed their artwork and thanked Cox for her time.