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Artist Lynn Cohagen at Vail Library, Sept. 2-15

Daily Staff ReportVail CO, Colorado
Q & A with Lynn Cohagen
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Landscape plein air painter Lynn Cohagan will show her work at the Vail Library Sept. 2-15

Vail Daily: What does painting mean to you? Lynn Cohagan: Painting gives me a chance to feel a sense of place in the world. I paint plein air, or in the field. The visual stimuli plus the wind, the sun or the snow on my body gives me energy to execute the scene in a lively manner. A plein air artist sees colors that cant be seen from a photograph. To know nature, one must observe carefully the memory of that observation can linger for years. VD: When did you know that you wanted to be an artist? LC: I was at a foreign campus and had a chance to visit several major museums. Seeing fine paintings in person inspired me to change my college major to fine arts. Painting is a very enjoyable journey. VD: What inspires you to create? What kind of mood do you have to be in? LC: The light on a subject really gets me going. A sunny day means wonderful cool shadows under the trees. A cloudy day brings warm undertones. Imagine you are about to sit down to a huge feast with numerous foods to taste and smell. To me the landscape is a feast for the eyes. Looking at so many colors and forms makes me feel full and satisfied. VD: Why did you choose the medium that you work with, or did it choose you? LC: I love the luminosity and color depth of oil paint. It lends itself to plein air painting. I have developed a way to keep my oil paints from freezing on the palette so that I may paint out in the snow. Dark shadows on white snow are so dramatic.VD: Describe your style.LC: I am a colorist. I paint landscapes in an impressionistic way, always noting the value, hue and temperature of the color I am observing. I use Italian oil paints in only three primary colors. This allows me to mix each color individually. VD: If you were to meet any artist, alive or dead, who would it be and why? LC: I love Monets painting of a snow-covered fence. It is so specific to time and place. Also, I like the way the viewer can feel the hour of day when looking at his waterlilly series.VD: Do you own a favorite piece of art? LC: I own several paintings by Charles Field, a Texas landscape painter and my teacher. He also uses the Italian paints in primary colors. They really glow with light.VD: Where do you sell your art? LC: I have had shows in Austin at the Davis Gallery and in San Antonio at the Hunt Gallery. My Web site is http://www.cohaganart.com. In Vail I sell out of my studio. Call 970-476-0566 for more information.


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