John Cosby, born 1955, in Hollywood, CA. Cosby began painting at a very early age, and credits his grandmother, an oil painter, as his earliest influence. "She would give me the paint, some brushes and a scrap of canvas and set me off to paint." This early experience "took the fear out of creating a painting" for Cosby.
At age 18, he was chosen as a communications advance-man for President Nixon and began to travel the globe, continuing in this capacity through the Ford administration. He met many interesting people and saw incredible things during his travels, but the things that most interested him were the great works of art he encountered. "They just haunted me and helped me to set the course for my career as a painter". After leaving the White House, Cosby rebuilt an old classic Herreshoff sailing sloop and, with a friend who had dreams of becoming a writer, set sail, cruising up and down the Eastern seaboard for 3 years. On that voyage, he began his art career.
About painting, Cosby says, "While standing on location, in a place I have never visited, I begin to recognize what is different from all the other places I have been. I try to capture that uniqueness."
Bold use of color and energetic brush strokes are hallmarks of Cosby’s work. They are also attributes that echo the artist’s personality – easy going and adventuresome. A stylistic economy of means along with superb control of brushstroke grants Cosby the liberty to be expressive while maintaining a basic loyalty to his visual experience.
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American Artist
