The first thing to know about Rona Lee Cohen’s art is that it begins with quiet intensity and an intimate relationship with each new piece she is contemplating. Her oil paintings on paper are largely abstract combined with a colorful vibrancy often inspired by still life. She strives to capture both color and form in a unique way that has a personal rhythm for her versus painting literal interpretations.
She put it this way: “Painting is my unruly companion. We have a tense relationship. Painting demands my full attention, and I am always searching for a deeply studied quality to the work. When I’m getting close to completing a piece, I experience a camaraderie and harmony with the painting.” Her inspiration on any given day might be a color, a plant, noticed patterns or household items she wants to explore in a sensory way.
Cohen’s latest exhibition, “Carrying On,” is on view through August 9 at Mitchell•Giddings Fine Arts in Brattleboro, Vermont.
Artists who have inspired her approach to painting include the French artist, Edouard Vuillard, who painted cozy views of domestic life. American artist Franz Kline, an abstract expressionist, known for his bold black brush strokes on white canvases is also one of Cohen’s favorites. So is Richard Diebenkorn, a California painter whose brush work suggests confidence, Cohen says. She admires how he structured his work, which helped her achieve a sense of convergence in her interpretation of her paintings.