Clara Cohan
It was during my growing up time that I was taught the foundations of drawing and painting. My mother, who is an artist, spent many afternoons teaching me about the anatomy of light, form, color theories, and oil painting.
THE JOURNEY
Throughout my life, there have been significant moments that have altered my thoughts, personal choices, and creative directions. Below, are the significant life changing moments of my journey.
Early Years
(1956-1976)
From the beginning, there was something very different about this young woman. As a child, she had the energy of a wildcat, the mind of an inventor, the determination of a gentle mountain stream on its way to the Ocean, and a heart as vast as the Universe.
Nature
(1977-1986)
Knowing that I wanted to be a full time artist, I knew I had to create a lifestyle that was compatible with a low, or periods of no income. In 1977, I bought 5 acres of wooded land on the side of a hill in West Hebron, New York. I learned the basics of construction while building a 20' x 20' wood-framed cabin. I chose to not put electricity in. I cleared an acre of the land for a garden. I grew, fished and foraged for most of my food. The wood from the land provided fuel for heating and cooking. I dedicated several hours a day to the daily chores, allowing the rest of the time for drawing, painting, and developing a freelance commercial art business to pay for the things that I could not produce my self or could not barter for.
New York City
A friend introduced me to New York City in the early 1980s. I was drawn in by the intensity of what the city had to offer me personally and as an artist. Over the next 16 years, I would spend one or two months of time in the city in order to study at the Art Students League and draw daily from the works of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Natural History, contact galleries, and spend hours drawing from the surrounding street scenes. It was during this time that I produced the “Humanity Series”, oil paintings of the people of the City.
Arizona
(1986-2000)
Arizona offered a deep look into my soul. The wide open spaces, the bare bones of the earth, and ancient cultures, gave me a perspective that no other place could. Time was arranged in layers and spirals rather than linear. Paintings returned to my surreal roots. Color Paintings emerged. And the Humanity series reached full bloom. In the final year, I did an apprenticeship with a stone carver and began to transform my 2D thoughts into fully tangible living forms.
Maine
(2000-still going)
Moving to Maine was a return to the seasons, a new experience of living by the Ocean, and becoming part of an active Arts Scene in Portland. At the beginning of the 2008 economy collapse, I began working at the Portland Museum of Art, which continues to provide a rich experience.
I never considered myself a small woman. I had built two homes from the ground up, moved tons of stone and cement…but by 2005, I finally realized my petit body was wearing out. Stone carving shifted to wood carving. Emerging from the wood came the “Contemplating Our Place in the Universe” series. In the midst of this series, another series surfaced, “Sacred Sitting”, which was about creating objects to sit in that would instill contemplation. Little did I know at that time, that “Sacred Sitting” would occupy a good portion of my life in 2018. Another part of my body gave up and I could not stand up without great pain. I had to sit…or lay flat on the floor…for five weeks to finally manage the pain, then nine weeks of physical therapy. In my time of sitting and quieting the mind, my “studio” became an iPad and the ProCreate app. A new project emerged from this digital studio, “Digital Streaming of Consciousness”.
And the journey continues. Check back soon!
www.claracohan.com