6 Ideas for Wedding-related Custom Paintings

It’s the most momentous of occasions that prompt us to think about the fleeting nature of time and how to capture them in our memories forever.  Commissioned paintings can be an amazing way to not only freeze a special moment but to also re-experience the emotions that came with it. Whether it’s as a gift or to indulge yourself, and whether it’s a pre-wedding commission to display at the event or a post-wedding painting to place in a first home, an upcoming wedding conjures numerous ideas for custom art.  Here are just 6 to get those creative juices flowing!

CoCo Artist Holli M.

1.  The Dress

Plenty of people save their wedding dresses as a memento of the special day, but it usually ends up in a bag in the attic somewhere. A painting of your dress allows you to enjoy it every day, while adding a touch of glamour and sophistication to your interior.

CoCo Artist Jean J.

2.  The Ceremony

A painting of the ceremony allows you to capture your wedding day exactly the way you imagined it.  Perhaps it’s based off of your professional photos, or maybe it’s a scene that didn’t get captured by the photographer.  Either way, it carries the feelings of the moment you thought was most important in declaring your love for each other.

CoCo Artist Brittany S.

3.  The Couple

This is always a classic choice. Your portraits could be from the first photo you took together, a shot during an engagement session, or a re-imagining of one of your wedding photos.  If it’s either of the first two, it could also serve as part of a fabulous display at your special event!

CoCo Artist Holli M.

4.  The Jewelry

Commissions of rings, or of hands wearing them, is a beautiful way to commemorate one of the most potent symbols of commitment. If that’s not your speed, what about immortalizing that ‘something borrowed’ or a precious heirloom you wore on your wedding day?   

CoCo Artist Terry P.

5.  The Honeymoon

The beautiful photos you took on your romantic getaway can be the perfect inspiration for a serene landscape, to be placed in a master bedroom. This commission can transport you back to that idyllic evening at an exotic location during a once in a lifetime trip together.

CoCo Artist: Toni S.

6.  The Cake

The cake was a work of art in and of itself, and just because you and your guests went to town on all 12 tiers doesn't mean you only want one evening to admire it!

For more ideas on your own wedding-related commission, brainstorm with a CoCo Consultant for free!

Commission Spotlight: Taj Lake Palace

Shilpa and Suhrid are world travelers.  Despite having two kids and busy professional lives, they have prioritized getting out of the country as a family as well as on their own.  It was only fitting, then, that Shilpa would want to gift Suhrid a painting of the trip where it all began for their 15th Anniversary –  the place where they got engaged.

Shilpa and Suhrid's living room, where the commission currently resides.

When Shilpa first came to CoCo Gallery, she wasn’t entirely sure what she wanted, however.  She brainstormed a number of ideas with her CoCo Consultant, including a gallery wall of 10 watercolors that each represented one of their trips together.  While we had the perfect artist lined up to help her with this idea, some twists and turns led her to choose an impressionist rendition of the Taj Lake Palace in Udaipur, India…the breathtaking backdrop of where Suhrid had proposed.  The artist that could best do this was prominent in his field from India and just happens to be in our network: CoCo Artist Teji K.

The "Taj Lake Palace" commission: conceived by Shilpa, brought to life by CoCo Artist Teji K.

The request

Shilpa found an image of the Taj Lake Palace online, as a sample representation of the 24” X 36” impressionist painting she wanted.  It was important to her that the painting primarily had blue and purple hues, to fit well with the interiors of their fully designed living room.  She also wanted to make sure there was a tiny indication of a couple having dinner on a pontoon near the palace, representative of their evening on that special day.

A sample of the blues and purples Shilpa wanted for the painting.

The living room where the painting will reside.

The initial sketch

Having a highly layered and textural style, Teji thought it would be best to sketch directly on the canvas and to adjust his work based on frequent feedback.  While the online image Shilpa found was more aerial in view, Teji chose to take a more head-on perspective of the palace.  He thought it would better represent a special event that happened there rather than to just highlight the stand-alone site.  Shilpa fully agreed, and Teji got to work with his acrylic paints soon after.

The online image of the palace that was used as a reference.

Check-ins and the final product

Within a few days, Teji had filled in the base of the work with paint.  At this point, he starts his unique spatula-technique, where he creates the impressionist look by layering paint using just a palette brush.  Once he uses the palette brush, he can change the colors of the painting but not the composition.  Shilpa was on board with the base of the painting, thus, Teji carried on.

The base of the painting, before the spatula technique.

Later check-ins were not as smooth as the earlier ones.  Shilpa’s primary feedback was that the painting looked “spooky” because of the number of shadows that were in the palace.  Teji took the feedback seriously – he brightened the painting a bit, and put lights into the corridors of the palace so that it looked less like a haunted house and more like an evening-lit palace.  With that, the painting was done.  Within three days of being fully dried, the Taj Lake Palace commission arrived from New Delhi, in pristine condition, rolled up in a tube, at Shilpa’s front door in Arlington, VA.

The "spooky" version

Inside the Artist’s Studio: Our Visit to CoCo Artist Michael M.’s Workshop

CoCo Artist Michael M’s studio is almost a visual rush of personal experiences.  Everywhere you look is an example of collaborative commissions – with his team, Michael takes anything and everything and transforms it into fine art through a wax overlay.  Whether it be old clothes, ticket stubs, programs – literally anything – it becomes part and parcel of a mixed media artwork, such as a portrait of a child, a depiction of a pet, or a meaningful landscape.   Read on to learn more about the backdrop of this very personal and unique style of art.

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Brooklyn, by Michael M.

CoCo: How would you describe your work?

Michael: I would classify my work as contemporary, at times bordering on pop-art.  More than anything the work is 100% process based.  As an artist I am extremely calculated and have every step of the process mapped out prior to production.  With great attention to detail I feel you provide the collector with a very finished product as well as a beautiful piece of fine art. 

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Michael, as an artist, focuses solely on commissions now.

CoCo: You used to be in finance. Tell us how your life is different now.

Michael: Finance was always something that served as a means to an end but was never emotionally rewarding.  As so many people know, it is so easy to get caught up in the "Rat Race" and sometimes place what is truly important in life on the backburner.  By refocusing life on my two passions, art and family, I can honestly say that I feel an emotional success that I don't feel was possible in my past life.  

CoCo: Tell us about your space.  What about it works well with what you do?  

Michael: When my daughter Charlie was three years old, I asked her what I should name my studio and she very innocently said, "My Life."  This is a space that was created to do art...YES, but to do art and have the ability to be with my children.  It's through interactions with my children that my personal style and approach have evolved into something much deeper.  My Life studio does commissions now, focusing on creating a depth of emotion and memory to a fine art piece. It is extremely important that everyone that walks into this space, feels the connectivity as well as the innocence that this studio was so thoughtfully named.

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Michael M.'s daughter, Charlie, aptly named his studio "My Life" and he has modeled the space as an area to both create art and interact with his children.

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After a career in finance, Michael M. refocused his life on his two passions: art and family. 

CoCo: Do you have any personal “rituals” that help you with your work?

Michael: I wouldn't say that I have a particular ritual but I do try to draw inspiration from the materials at hand.  I will always have a few pieces going at any one time ranging from personal pieces for an exhibit or commissions.  After dinner and getting our girls to bed, I return to the studio at night in order to complete any unfinished tasks from that day.  It is often at that hour that I will take a step back and see what works-in-progress are screaming my name.  It's not the best thing for a good night sleep but I find myself focusing on that unfinished piece and come up with some really great solutions to be excited about first thing in the morning.

CoCo: What is the best part of what you do or the best part of your day?

Michael: I constantly find myself comparing my life now to what I was doing in the world of finance.  Before, my focus was on my clients and building a business.  I felt my priorities were completely upside down.  I now get to wake up to my amazing little girls, (sometimes) take our time getting to school and focus on our own little world.  After saying goodbye to my family, I get to head down to my art studio.  I could tell you that it's the ability to create what I love most about the studio, but its not.  My favorite part of the day, is when I open the door and turn on the lights.  My Life, is a great Life!

Feeling inspired? See more work by Michael M. below.

Her Constant

Equine

Coco

Commission Spotlight: Ganesha

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Ganesha, by Laura S.

When Vijay and Kalyani bought their home near Los Angeles, they worked with a designer to make sure their own personal style came through their choice of furnishings.  They had a unique idea for a 70”X30” painting in their foyer, which had to be customized.  CoCo Gallery artist Laura S. teamed up with the couple and their designer to bring their vision to life.  Here’s how it all happened.

CoCo: What was the inspiration for your commission? 

Our wedding invitation had a very modern representation of the Hindu god Ganesha, who stands for new beginnings and good luck.  When we bought our new home, I thought that customizing a work of art around that special day in our life would be a great way to commemorate our space.  We immediately thought that the symbol of Ganesha, rendered precisely the way it was on our wedding invitation but on a large wooden panel, would be the perfect thing.

CoCo: Why did you choose that particular CoCo Artist?

We felt like the artist really understood what we wanted to achieve and how we wanted our end product to look like. She had even done some of her own research on the subject (about the significance of Ganesha in Hinduism) before we talked to her the first time. I knew she could deliver on our vision because she was so willing to work with us.  She also gave us some advice on colors that would work best and types of materials to use.

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This digital rendering was done by the couple's designer and gave CoCo Artist, Laura S., an understanding of their vision.

CoCo: Were you nervous about anything going into commissioning? 

I think Laura understood us very well and made a huge effort to make us feel comfortable.  During our first Skype conversation, we took her on a tour of our home so that she understood our taste a little bit as well. During the sketching process, she even presented four mini-paintings with different background colors/textures so that she could better understand our preferences in this regard. In the end, the painting was even better than what I had expected it to be.

CoCo: What aspects of CoCo’s services were most valuable in your commission process?

CoCo Gallery was invaluable in helping us choose Laura as an artist.  We had originally liked the style of another artist, but our consultant suggested that this piece was less about style and more about technique since the artist had to use silver foil and we had a very clear vision for the painting.  She made it so easy to correspond with the artist, and she made sure that each side was being understood properly. All of that helped us feel extremely comfortable in the process.

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The commission is now the first thing guests see when they enter Vijay and Kalyani's home.

CoCo: Where is your commission now (where does it hang)?

It is the first thing someone sees when they walk into our home – a perfect way to welcome everyone!

Feeling inspired? See more work by Laura S. below.

Homeland

Puppet Show

Palma

Commission Spotlight: NYC in Motion

For years, Eva and Anton had been searching for the perfect representation of their experience as ex-pats in New York City.  To them, the most special thing about NYC was the energy within, without, and all around it.  It’s this energy that has been the backdrop of their growing family’s life here.

When the couple came across CoCo Gallery and Piero M.’s work, they knew they had finally found the artist who could visually express their feelings about the city.  So many of Piero’s works have bursts of color and complex texture that signified rapid movement city’s everlasting vigor.  Thus, their commission began.

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NYC in Motion, by Piero M. 

Request: The couple wanted the skyline, from downtown to midtown, depicted with the water and bridges prominently featured as well.  Eva’s vision included small details – the presence of a cab, people, and bike riders, things that would help display the perpetually stirring nature of the city. 

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Piero M. quickly produced a digital rendering to hightlight for Eva and Anton the most important aspects of the painting. 

Initial Rendering: Piero quickly produced a digital rendering that helped highlight the most important aspects of the painting, to give the couple an impression of the final product.  One of the defining aspects of Piero’s paintings is that each contains a section of improvisational multi-colored texture, which allows the painting to go into the abstract.  The rendering simply cannot shed light on this aspect of the painter’s style.  Piero made sure that Eva and Anton would be okay with embracing the unpredictability that came with this part of his painting in its final form.  Once the couple was on board, Piero got to work with acrylics on canvas.

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Piero M. added more color per Eva and Anton's request to the sky and water. 

Check-in, Feedback, and Final: Within one week, Piero was almost done with the painting and he sent the couple a photo of the progress.  They were overjoyed, but there was just one thing missing in their minds.  It lacked a certain brightness; it didn’t convey the overall feeling of contentment they had living in the city.  Piero knew just what would flip the switch – he added a touch of color to the sky and water.  That did it.  It now happily hangs on top of Eva and Anton’s living room couch, and it is set to accompany them on their upcoming move out of the city.

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The final painting now hangs above Eva and Anton's living room couch. 

Brushstrokes: Interview with CoCo Artist Patrick L.

New to the CoCo Artist network is Patrick L.  His work uniquely spans florals, birds, and a range of other objects, like cars, for example.  The common element among all of them is the incorporation of collage from vintage sources.  Check out our brief, but enlightening chat with Patrick:

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Flowered Tom and Jerry, by Patrick L. 

CoCo: What inspired you to become an artist?

Patrick: I have been an artist as long as I can remember. Specifically I fell in love with art in the fourth grade as well as with my art teacher Miss Gallo. It was love at first site on both accounts! I also remember my love of objects, antiques, and anything vintage. I eventually graduated with a Masters Degree from the San Francisco Art Institute in Lithography.

CoCo: How would you describe your artwork?

Patrick: My work is rich with color and nuanced with a surface quality that is engaging. My love of paper, surface and collage continues to this day.

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Library or studio? Patrick L. draws inspiration from literature. 

CoCo: What type of media do you use and why?

Patrick: In my Seattle Studio, my images room surrounds me with hundreds of books and cuttings from pages of history books from various cultures, erotica from the Kama Sutra, original letters and journals, encyclopedias, old children’s books, and vintage wall paper. I am intrigued with the past and the associations that can be made with aged surfaces and vintage ephemera.  My technique is to combine paint with collaged ephemera from these sources.

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Patrick L. incorporates collage from vintage sources in his work, which is evident in his eclectic studio. 

CoCo: What is your favorite thing about doing a commission?

Patrick: I love working on commissions, I love the challenge of being given a project to create what matches the client’s ideas and desires with my own creative vision.  What is unique in my work is I am able to combine pictures or collage elements that the client provides of their family, memories and significant events and I incorporate them in a lasting work of art for them.   I also have produced large-scale paintings for restaurants, hotels, hospitals, law offices, and ten years for major department stores nationally.

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Patrick L. enjoys matching the client's desires with his own creative vision.

CoCo: Tell us about one of your favorite commissions.

Patrick: One of my favorites is a client’s house, depicted as a cake.  The client was a professional baker, and to make it personal, the windows of the house have family photos collaged in them.  Another was for a client's wedding anniversary; she wanted two florals with an Italian background, and images of The Kamasutra collaged into the flowers.

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A commission by Patrick L. that uses original family photos in the windows. 

Commission Spotlight: Salkantay Trail

Bay area resident, Deepika, recently commissioned a special work as a surprise for her husband. She chose CoCo Artist Justin C., an abstract figurative artist who is from New York City but works out of Norway.  Here’s a little bit about how her commission played out.

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Salkantay Trail, by Justin C. 

CoCo: What was the inspiration for your commission?  What were you looking to do?

Deepika: My husband and I had gone on a trip to Peru the year before and it was a very important trip for us as it was a celebration of success, on many fronts, for us both. Unfortunately, I lost my phone at the end of a 5-day trek in the Andes and lost all the photos. But then I stumbled upon CoCo Gallery. I figured that commissioning a painting was an excellent opportunity to give shape and form to a memory that only existed in our minds. Plus, it would be a great way to buy our first painting. Our wedding anniversary was coming up so I immediately jumped on the idea! 

CoCo: Why did you choose that particular CoCo Artist?

Deepika: Of the three artists that my CoCo Consultant shared, I found Justin C. to have the style that spoke to me. I saw his painting titled Ugruk and knew that he was kind of free spirited in his expression and that's the kind of feeling I remember having when I was in Peru, so I felt he would be the right artist to bring my memory to life. I did have a second option in mind, but CoCo helped me zero-in on my top choice. 

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Ugruk, by Justin C. 

CoCo: What do you remember about your first conversation with the artist?

Deepika: Our first conversation felt like he was really listening, he had looked at the materials I had shared earlier. He sounded really sweet and accommodating too. I felt comfortable having him use his imagination to create the painting I had in mind. 

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Justin C. adjusted the initial sketch because Deepika wanted to show her husband helping her cross the stream. 

CoCo: Were you nervous about anything going into commissioning?  Were your concerns allayed and how?

Deepika: I tend to be very verbose and detailed in my descriptions of what I am looking for. I was worried if I had left little room for Justin to express himself. CoCo’s guidance on how much direction to give to artists was helpful.

CoCo: If you had a very particular idea in your head of what it would look like, how did the painting turn out differently than that?

Deepika: The painting turned out very similar to what I had expected. I didn't realize how layered/textured the painting would be, so when it arrived and I saw how it looked up close, I was pleasantly surprised. I like that about it.

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Justin C. eventually altered the painting to give it a more impressionistic feel per Deepika's request. 

CoCo: What aspects of CoCo’s services were most valuable in your commission process?

Deepika: Help in choosing the artist from a shortlist and also in understanding how to provide input to the artist in the most productive way.

CoCo: Where is your commission now (where does it hang)?

Deepika: It's hanging in our bedroom! 

Brushstrokes: Interview with CoCo Artist Nick L.

CoCo Artist Nick L. approaches his subject matter primarily through abstraction — to evoke rather than illustrate the intersections of society and nature. His works organically creating diagrammatic structures and planes of flat color reminiscent of the built environment. Commissioning a big, striking work by him would be perfect to fill in that large empty wall in your home, especially because his colors and lines will definitely bring together all your aesthetic preferences. We interviewed him before Affordable Art Fair NYC where he painted in front of a live audience.

CoCo: How would you describe your artwork?
Nick: My artwork ranges widely in subject matter and medium, from completely abstract oil paintings, to highly rendered realistic graphite drawings, to multi-media installation art. The constant that ties everything together is my interest in the natural world and the connections between society and nature. All of my work, whether abstract or representational, relates in some way to my experience of the real world…in other words, whether there is a recognizable reference in a work or not, my inspiration for the things I make always comes from actual experience.

CoCo: Tell us about your training as an artist.
Nick: I’ve always kept a sketchbook, even as a young kid. But art was never a part of my academic life until after college. I was an environmental science and biology major. After graduating, I spent several years living in the wilderness of the Sierra Nevada where I taught ecology and geology for the Yosemite Institute. It was during that period living in the mountains that I decided to put all my energy into my artwork and to make it my life pursuit. I moved to New York in 1996 and attended the New York Studio School for a couple years while I built a portfolio that I needed to apply to graduate school. I wanted to study with the British painter John Walker, and was fortunate to be accepted into his graduate program at Boston University. I finished an MFA in painting there in 2000 and then returned to NYC where I’ve lived and worked ever since.

CoCo: Describe one of your favorite collectors/clients.
Nick: My favorite collectors are people who were initially drawn to my artwork on its aesthetic merits alone, but with whom I’ve also developed strong friendships over time. As we get to know one another more and more, they trust in what I do, regardless of style or subject matter. It is fantastic to know I have the enthusiasm and support of sharp-eyed, intelligent and informed people who are interested in each new stage of my development as an artist. 

Coyote; 60"x70", oil on canvas

CoCo: What does your work of art bring to its environment?
Nick: I strive to make my artwork interesting and dramatic enough to catch people’s attention, but it is also important to me that, once they look at it, it also inspires them to think more deeply about the world around them. Put simply, my artwork doesn’t pass muster until it has both graphic punch and deeper evocative appeal.

CoCo: What type of media do you use and why?
Nick: I use all kinds of media and techniques, often mixing them in unconventional ways. I believe that being open to all possibilities of expression, especially modes that are unfamiliar to me, can be an important key to unlocking new imagery and new creative territory.

Image courtesy AAF NYC

Coco: What are you working on now?
Nick: I’m having a fantastic time doing live drawings at the Affordable Art Fair in New York City. I’ve never worked in front of a crowd this way and the performative aspect of the experience has been fun and invigorating.

CoCo: What is your favorite thing about doing a commission?
Nick: I love the collaborative aspect of working on commissions. It is thrilling to meet with clients, see the space for which they envision an artwork and then work together with them to come up with something that excites them as much as it does me.

CoCo: Tell us about your favorite commission.
Nick: It’s difficult to single out one commission as a favorite above all others, but one of the most exciting commissioning experiences I’ve had was working on some site-specific works for the lobby and media room at Richard Meier building at Grand Army plaza in Brooklyn. It was fantastic to respond to his architecture and to speak with the enthusiastic building residents who came through the space over the course of the painting and installation process.

If you are interested in learning more about Nick's work, contact info@cocogallery.net

What to do at an art fair

A few tips from our Founder on how to make an art fair work for you

The month of March is filled with art fairs in New York City. It’s fun – you see what’s out there, sometimes sip a few cocktails, and hopefully, you either purchase something, get a better idea of your own aesthetic preferences, or just have a good time with all the visual stimulation.

Fairy Tale in the Key of C (Castle, Couch &  Cock), Jeffrey B.; 50"x46", oil on canvas

Despite starting a company that helps you commission works of art rather than buy existing works, I am a huge fan of going to these fairs. First, I don’t believe that every work of art in your home needs to be commissioned. Second, even if you are interested in commissioning a work of art, seeing more live works gives you a better sense of your commission vision and more vocabulary with which to articulate it. And, third, I truly believe you’ll confirm even a slight interest to commission a work once you come back from one of these.

But, the fairs can also be overwhelming, inundating you with too many genres and media, and ultimately leading you to doubt your own aesthetic sense. Here are a few tips to guard against just that and to make these fairs work for you:

1) Don’t trust your own memory. Decide on one or two walls in your home for which you are shopping.  If you would like for the artwork to fit your décor in a specific way, take pictures on your phone of those spots and their surrounding environments, especially the defining aspects of those settings (such as key pieces of furniture, statement display items, or rugs). These are the very things that we seem to experience and remember differently than they actually are.  You don’t want to be buying artwork off of your memory of these things. The pictures will be something you can refer back to as you walk through the aisles of an art fair and will help you visualize a potential piece in your home.  

2) Be strong in your vision. Cement your vision for those walls as strongly as you can before you go to the fair. Simply noting down your preferences in size range, medium, colors, genre, and overall feeling of the artwork will help you stay true to your vision when you get to an art fair and start seeing a few hundred works in front of you. You’ll be able to identify works that fit your vision quickly. Moreso, you’ll be able to trust yourself if you become intrigued by a work of art that doesn’t fit your original vision – you’ll know that it might be worth veering off course with a certain work of art that is just that stunning to you.

Neptune, Julia C.; 48"x48", acrylic

3) Go to one of the first days that the fair is open. I am a big believer that if you can’t stop thinking about something for more than a day, then there is something more there. Go to one of the earlier days of the fair so that if something caught your attention and just won’t leave your mind alone, you can go back and get it the next day.

4) Note what you didn’t find, and collaborate with an artist to commission it instead. Remember that you don’t have to buy something that already exists. Be okay with not finding what you wanted at a fair. Despite how many works you’ll see, all original artwork is unique and was made by someone other than you, which means that you won’t necessarily find what you’re looking for. Make sure to note down what was missing in the pieces that perhaps were “almost there.” You can always get something made just for you.

Brushstrokes: Interview with CoCo Artist Chamisa K.

As part of our ongoing Brushstrokes series, we interviewed CoCo Artist Chamisa K. Primarily an illustrator, Chamisa's magical drawings and imaginative scenes have especially peaked the interest of our clients with young children. We love the idea of a series of Chamisa's custom illustrations in a nursery or kids room.

The Light in the Tree 1; 8"x10", ink and watercolor

CoCo: How would you describe your artwork?
Chamisa: My work is magical realism. It belongs in a world that looks like ours, but where the rules are tipped on their head. I draw everyday scenes overlaid with imagination.

CoCo: Tell us about your training as an artist.
Chamisa: I began drawing very young, around age three. Both of my parents are artistic, and work as architects and urban designers. There was never a shortage of drawing and painting supplies in our house. Ball-point pens were my go-to tool. The way the ink flowed out around the tiny ball at the point, the satisfaction of seeing it sink into the paper; I spent hours drawing with them. I consider this foundation of drawing as a kid to be extremely important to my training as an artist. If it really does take 10,000 hours to master a skill, then I’m lucky I got a lot of my drawing time in at a young age.

From first grade through high school I attended Waldorf school, a private school system that puts a lot of emphasis on art and working with your hands. This, of course, was an absolutely perfect environment for me. It felt so natural to have drawing and painting so seamlessly integrated into my every day school life. In first grade I was introduced to watercolor, and since then have been combining watercolor and pen and ink in my work.

After high school, I applied to the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). Nothing could have really prepared me for the work load at RISD, but all the drawing and painting at a young age certainly helped! I studied Illustration, and while I can’t say I loved every minute of it, I certainly made a lot of personal creative discoveries. I met so many incredible artists, got my ego knocked down a peg or two (or ten), and after trying a ton of other materials, reaffirmed my love for ink and watercolor. They are the tools I use most in my current work.

Childhood Drawing 2

The Light in the Tree 2

CoCo: Who is your art for? What type of person are you speaking to?
Chamisa: Anyone who loves it and connects with it! I aspire to illustrate and write children’s books, so I always find it fascinating when children look at my work. There is a childlike place in each of us, something authentic and honest. This is the place I hope to speak to with my work.

CoCo: Can you lead us through an important aspect of a special technique you use?
Chamisa: Lately I’ve been creating three-dimensional works which I call “Light and Shadow Boxes”. I use cut outs of ink and watercolor illustrations and layer them to create depth. The light portion comes from small colorful LEDs, which I set behind the layers of paper so they shine through and create shadow and glow. Working with light has been a great learning process for me. Since the LEDs are battery powered, it requires some calculation and mathematical precision. Thinking about color, in the context of a piece that has it’s own light built in, is also a challenge. A piece can change drastically depending on how it’s displayed and whether or not the lights are turned on. As an artist it’s important to have something that drives you to create a lot of work, something that pushes you through the layers of learning. For me, working with added light is that thing that has ensnared my curiosity. I can’t get enough of it!

In the Belly of the Wolf

CoCo: Do you have any rituals or routines you must perform before you start or continue on a piece?
Chamisa: When I have a day where I get to focus solely on making art, I make sure to schedule in breaks. I dabble in string instruments, and a short session of strumming the guitar or picking at the banjo really clears my head, while keeping me in a creative mental space. It’s not a total departure since I still get to use my hands to make something, but it lets my mind shift so that when I come back to the drawing board I see it with fresh eyes.

CoCo: What is your favorite piece and why?
Chamisa: My favorite piece is one I did while still in school. I call it The Wanderer. It isn’t my best technical work or even my best idea, but it is significant to me because it represents a breakthrough in my work and my mindset towards being an illustrator. The Wanderer was made for an assignment in a children’s book class. I had been trying and failing to mimic work that I liked, illustrators who had succeeded in a certain style. Naturally, I was failing left and right, because I wasn’t following my own intuition; I was forcing it. But this was one of the last projects for the semester, and I think I was so tired that I just couldn’t force it anymore. I returned to that feeling I had as a child, of drawing for the pure joy of it, and not for the purpose of copying something or someone else. Teachers always said, you can’t force style, and I never “got it” until that point. I stayed up all night working on The Wanderer, which wasn’t unusual. The unusual part was that I wasn’t brain dead the next day. I was liberated from this self-imposed weight, and making that piece only made me want to create more.

The Wanderer

CoCo: Tell us about your favorite commission.
Chamisa: Recently a friend commissioned me to design and woodburn an image on a hand-made wooden surfboard. I don’t have woodburning examples in my portfolio, but he wanted an image in my drawing style (he knows my love of line), so he approached me about learning this new skill. The limited times I’ve worked with a wood burner have been great experiences, so I readily agreed. 

There are three reasons why this has been a great commission project: one, it allows me to learn a new skill, without taking me away from the style I like to work in. Two, the idea and design have been a pleasantly collaborative effort, and the client has allowed me full reign on the technique and fabrication. Lastly, it has opened up the possibilities for future projects like this one, and bolstered my confidence in expanding my repertoire of materials.

(All photos by Phil McElroy)

If you are interested in learning more about Chamisa's work, contact info@cocogallery.net

5 types of wall-art media you've never considered

When you think of the term “original wall-art,” you may likely think of a painting – oil or acrylic most likely, perhaps even watercolor, and almost always on canvas or paper. However, there are a number of other types of media that can be hung up on your wall and be just as original as a more traditional painting. You may not even realize that you’ve been exposed to these media before; you might have just noticed that there was a special, unidentifiable ‘something’ in what was before you.

I Drew These Chairs Standing Up, Brent E.; 15"x22", lithography

Consider these alternative media the next time you may be looking to fill wall space in your home:

1) Lithograph
In a lithograph, the artist draws onto limestone using litho crayons or pencils made of grease and wax. The image is then chemically treated to bond to the surface. Finally, the artist uses a rolling pin to cover the image with ink, lays paper over the stone, and passes it through a litho press.

2) Mixed media
Mixed media is a very general term, but refers to using a number of different media in one particular work. It can be a collage for example, with objects of various textures and depth used together in one work. But it could also be paint or ink overlaid on digital photographs.  It’s essentially more than one different type of media used on the same surface.

May, Sophia H.; 48"x60", string, cut-up socks, tree seeds, oil on canvas

Shep, Eli S.; 26"x32", oil-based print with arcylic on mylar

3) Stretched polyester film/Mylar
Mylar is the brand name for stretched polyester film.  Despite how durable it is, it gives artwork a transparent feel. Artists who draw, paint or print on it, achieve a certain dichotomy in their work using the translucency to show lightness or focus on a particular aspect. It can be used as another layer to an artwork, adding with a soft matte effect. 

4) Graphite or Charcoal
Graphite is essentially an artist-grade pencil – it is a more refined version of the No. 2 pencil most of us grew up with. It can come in pencil or powder form and has a metallic sheen. Charcoal can also come in powder or pencil form; it’s similar to graphite but is darker, has less range in color, and is a bit more complicated for an artist to apply. This slightly looser and more powdery medium is great for art on larger works of paper.  

Mountain with Small Scaffolding, Brooks S.; 36"x48", graphite, color pencil and ink

Childhood Drawing, Chamisa K.

5) Ink pen
Yes, even a sketch done with a simple ink pen can be matted, framed and hung up on your wall. Artists can create a noteworthy image with simple tools that we use everyday for a different purpose. Ink sketches have a certain simplicity that can grant a space some whimsy; smaller works are wonderful to put up in a series.

To see more works from artists in the CoCo Gallery Artist Network and to inquire about commissioning an artwork, please email us at info@cocogallery.net or fill out a form online.

Brushstrokes: Interview with CoCo Artist Laura G.

Today, we would like to share our chat with CoCo Artist Laura G. Her abstract depictions of the infinite sky transport viewers to a place of meditative serenity. They tend to provide a window to the beyond, especially in closed settings like long hallways and dark rooms. And yet, they also expand large environments, when natural light reflects upon them. Meet Laura.

CoCo Artist Laura G. in her studio.

CoCo: How would you describe your artwork?
Laura: I paint large-scale atmospheric oil paintings. As an artist, I strive to transport the viewer to a more peaceful dreamlike setting. In this hectic fast-paced world, it is my hope that the viewer will experience a moment of tranquility when viewing my work. 

CoCo: What inspired you to become an artist?
Laura: I was inspired to become an artist because I found a sense of serenity while I was painting. I think I am my happiest whenever I am creating. I was also fortunate as a child to visit art museums whenever my family took vacations and I remember feeling such a sense of awe staring at wonderful works of art. There was something very powerful about viewing famous pieces of art in person. It left quite an impression on me at a young age.

CoCo: Describe one of your favorite clients.
Laura: One of my favorite clients was Children’s Hospital in Aurora, Colorado. I got to visit the hospital and meet some of the patients. They were such sweet kids and so excited about art in general. I love when I’m able to see where my work will “live” and meet the people who will experience it on a daily basis.

CoCo: What does your work bring to its environment?
Laura: My paintings bring a sense of calm and peace to its environment as well as a burst of color. I like to think of my paintings as windows, looking out onto another world.

CoCo: What is your artistic process?
Laura: I start a painting usually with an image in my mind or a feeling I want to communicate. My paintings are places of my imagination. I find my work the most honest and authentic when I create from a feeling or an image in my mind’s eye.

CoCo: What is your favorite piece?
Laura: My favorite piece changes quite often but my current favorite is “Ciel Colorado.” I have really loved working with shades of lavender, purple, blues and greys lately. I love the understated palette; it feels so soothing to me.

Ciel Colorado, 44"x72", oil

CoCo: What is your favorite thing about doing a commission?
Laura: My favorite thing about commissions is that it is a true collaboration between the client and myself. I love creating something unique and specific to one client. It is fun to have an ongoing dialog with the client about what they envision and then bringing those ideas to life.

If you are interested in collaborating with Laura G., please contact us at info@cocogallery.net. We're happy to share more information about Laura and more of her artwork with you.