to my online image gallery. Please take your time, click around, and don't hesitate to leave a message if you have questions. I appreciate your visit and hope you enjoy the work. - Elaine Cohen
Artist Statement
Artist Statement
I came to painting early in life then put away my brushes for twenty years to become a writer. And though I am still a writer, the impulse to paint could not be denied. By the mid 1990’s painting en plein air had become a passion. Alone or with buddies, I have painted throughout California and in Mexico, trying to convey the spirit of a particular place. Since moving to Cape Cod in 2003, I've been discovering the nuance and tone of a completely different light and environment.
Making art is a process of fine-tuning what I see and feel. Working in the visual arts gives me great freedom to explore my inner vision in different media. Currently, I paint in acrylic, oil, watercolor, ink and pastel. I construct collages from a variety of handmade papers, cut-up paintings, and my own digital photographs. I use the camera as a kind of eye for scoping out details and bringing them into focus. I love to experiment and improvise.
Most of the paintings in this online Gallery were done on site; the collages are studio creations. The digitally altered photographs represent a more abstract direction.
My approach is always evolving. No matter which media I use, making images is like sailing into a new and undiscovered place, a place where words are merely a graphic element, and meaning is conveyed through juxtapositions of color, line, light and form.
