Artist Statement - JULIE COHN FINE ART

JULIE COHN FINE ART

I love the way watercolor moves. For me, painting is about the conversation I have with this dancing medium. My desire is to respect the properties of watercolor - to guide it gently, let it do what it wants to do, and respond again. This conversation can last a few minutes or for hours at a time. I delve into a trance-like state, stopping only when the passage feels complete. Depending on the size and kind of painting, I usually paint from one to four passages

Many of my series are now abstract, reflecting my reverence for nature. I start each painting with a strong feeling toward a color and thick or thin applications of paint. As a painting evolves I use tools in addition to brushes, such as metal scrapers, to develop atmosphere out of which emerges an abstracted aspect of the natural world - plants, mountains, minerals, animals, or anything that presents itself. I enjoy the excitement of adding to and watching the forms develop. As I pursue this inner world of imagination and abstraction, I also keep in mind my classical training as a representational painter. Ultimately I envision a blend of these two forms in some of my artwork, as my memory of imagery and practice of observation continue to propel me.

There are many artists who have inspired me - Helen Frankenthaler, Paul Jenkins, Richard Diebenkorn, Georgia O'Keefe, Emil Nolde, Paul Klee, John Singer Sargent, Rembrandt van Rijn, and Johannes Vermeer. I would put at the top, Paul Cezanne, whose mastery of color and composition is a continual source of learning.

What do I want to offer you, the viewer? I want to give you the opportunity to let art move you to a place that has no words, where you become a part of the artwork, forgetting your daily troubles and concerns, The content of my art is sometimes illusive, mysterious, other times representational and confrontational. As you delve into its depths to feel mystery and power or stay on the surface to enjoy physical beauty, I hope that you will be able to pause and absorb the positive force of creativity to feel a vital connection with the earth and all life.