Southwest
Art, May 2003Feature Article “Golden State Inspiration; Eight California painters capture the mountains, beaches, cities, and fields that surround them”
by Molly Siple
John
Cosby’s take on the California landscape is “to paint the edge where people
and the environment have their stand-off.” This approach translates into Cosby’s well-known
coastal scenes, which incorporate views of beach towns well as the adjoining
sea. In California there is an abundance
of such urbanized coastline, much to the distress of conservationists.
Laguna Beach, were Cosby has his home and studio, possesses its share. His paintings point out just how far the built environment has intruded
into nature and where man’s world must stop.
Cosby
spent years as a commercial artist-a career that taught him a degree of discipline
he insists is essential to becoming a successful fine artist.
A natural at organization, Cosby is also a founder of the Laguna Plein
Air Painters Association (LPAPA).
In
addition, in 1999, Cosby launched the highly successful Laguna Beach Plein Air Painting Invitational
held at the Laguna Art Museum. Currently
he is curating, along with painter Gil Dellinger, an exhibit entitled Sea
to Shining Sea. Selected artists are painting across the United
States to produce landscapes that will become part of the museum show.
“I am very interested in education people about higher forms of art,”
says Cosby. Indeed, he has done much to put California
landscape painting on the cultural map. His
is represented by Pacific Edge Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA; Lahaina Galleries,
Newport Beach and San Francisco, CA; Settlers West Galleries, Tucson, AZ; El
Paseo Gallery, Palm Desert, CA; Knox Gallery, Beaver Creek, CO; and Tree’s Place,
Orleans, MA.
A
Long Way to the Top, Oil, 30 x 24
