Featured Artist Sylvia Cohen

Artist Sylvia Cohen combines line drawing with splashes of color to create expressive and dynamic portraits. Visit her website to learn more about this artist and her passion.

 

 

My goal is to create paintings that are simply striking and intriguing, finding inspiration in my roots of fashion design and illustration.

 

 

I find myself drawn to images of women that are edgy and strong. Collecting images from editorials as inspiration, I work in a semi-realistic manner depicting portraits of women.

 

 

When I begin to work, I am no longer concerned about the beauty of the image but am instead interested in how it speaks to me. My focus changes entirely as I consider a history of experiences and emotions—love, hurt, anguish and joy come into play.

 

 

There is so much more behind a person’s appearance. Through the cult of beauty in contemporary mass media, I am investigating the psychological complexity of modern women.

 

 

The women I paint are subtle yet strong, bold yet delicate. I balance these contradictions, bring individuality to each piece. I think of these works as character studies rather than portraits.

 

 

I paint faces to capture the emotion that drives them. Playing on the expression of the character, the colour choices and the addition of abstract elements give my work a unique energy. The paintings are a zoom on a strong feeling, with faces larger than life. These detailed paintings envelope the viewer and act as an invitation to a journey.

 

 

Combining line drawings with splashes of colour, my work uses portraiture as a starting point. The image is allowed to develop through the process of applying paint. Gestural brushstrokes and the heightened use of colour add emotion and expressive dynamism to the work.

 

 

I enjoy using the combination of pencil with its preciseness and the unpredictability of ink and watercolours. I also love experimenting with different mediums like acrylics, collage and mixed media. I have evolved all these mediums within my style.

 

 

I have recently added digital tools, using a tablet and several painting and drawing applications to explore the possibilities of this new medium to deliver my message.

 

Artist Sylvia Cohen invites you to follow her on Instagram and Facebook.

 

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