Featured Artist Genie Appel-Cohen

Artist Genie Appel-Cohen presents a delightful collection of artwork created in her charming signature style. Visit her website to see more of her portfolio.

 

 

Do you ever wonder what motivates an artist’s creativity?  For me, my early years were marked by familial instability. During that time, drawing provided much-needed refuge. My mother believed that women could only be a nurse, a teacher, or a secretary and she was strongly set against a formal art education. My father enrolled me in children’s classes at the Art Student’s League in New York city against her wishes. I can still smell the odor of turpentine as I walked through their doors. I was dizzy with joy!

 

 

I grew up, married at an early age and worked at various part-time jobs. My focus was family life throughout the 1970’s to 1990’s. Subsequently, I travelled to Paris to study pastry, came back home and started a dessert business from my kitchen. Following my daughter’s departure for college, my marriage collapsed.

 

 

This period prompted me to pursue art with renewed seriousness. I undertook studies in various media, and participated in exhibitions despite financial constraints. A pivotal moment arose when I advertised art lessons, converted my garage into a studio, and instructed over sixty students for seven years. This was prior to teaching at the local museum. Money was always a problem, and the income from these classes allowed me to stay in my house.

 

 

A significant advancement in my career occurred concurrently with two events; an introduction to the Japanese floral design tradition Ikebana and a commission for a “Klimt-like” painting for a Miami client. This led to a reimagining of traditional still life compositions, featuring tilted vases and creatively arranged tropical foliage.

 

 

My sketchbook is where everything begins. I can move things around without anything feeling too precious. My approach to materials is also distinctive. I utilize gold relief to outline my designs and apply resin paint using pipettes rather than brushes. I work on cradled wood panels. Paintings must remain on a flat surface so the materials don’t run off the panels. This is physically difficult process, especially with the larger pieces.

 

 

Modeling paste is also incorporated into the designs and lies just beneath the glass-like surface. This results in a multi-layered process whereby each painting requires several months to complete.

 

 

A few years ago, I gave away most of my living room furniture and created a larger studio space. The light is beautiful here. Currently, I’m teaching both painting and drawing at The Boca Museum Art School. I am always looking for new opportunities to exhibit and sell art.

 

 

I consider myself a modern Florida artist creating large format tropical landscapes and still life paintings with a Japanese aesthetic. Of course, to the delight of friends and family, I still bake. Looking back, I now know that this is exactly the path I was meant to follow.

 

Genie Appel-Cohen invites you to follow on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

 

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