Jean Cole, Denver, CO, graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of California at Berkeley with a degree in design and pursued a career in interior design before returning to her great love, watercolor, in the early 1980's. Her glazing technique and the brilliant use of color in florals and still lifes have led to numerous awards including Best of Show at the Rocky Mountain National and the Paul Schwartz Memorial Award from the AWS. She is also a member of the National Watercolor Society, the Rocky Mountain National Watermedia Society and the Colorado Watercolor Society. Her work has been published in "Best of Watercolor 2", "Basic Flower Painting", "Watercolor Magic" and "The Artist's Magazine". Jean's work has been in galleries around the country and is in prominent national and international collections including the Leanin' Tree Museum of Western Art, Storage Tech and the Sisters of Charity Healthcare System.

Through my paintings, I want to open the viewer’s eyes to the beauty that surrounds us in ordinary objects and small intimate places. Beautiful flowers, the bounty of produce, the sparkle of glass or even the cast offs at the back door catch my eye. I often choose to do close-ups in a larger than life scale to bring into focus the everyday things in life and cause the viewer to pause and reflect on their exceptional qualities.

As I paint, my emphasis is on the patterns created by light and shadow, color and line and the translucent quality of the watercolor medium. These comprise the abstract pieces that make up the representational whole of the painting. I use a rather controlled and detailed approach, working from my own photography. I employ the technique of layered washes and glazes because it enables me to achieve a depth and brilliance of color, which stimulates the eye, and best captures the intensity and luminosity of color.

I hope to inspire us all to recognize beauty in what seems to be ordinary and consider that it is a unique gift.

AFFILIATIONS:

American Watercolor Society, Signature Member
National Watercolor Society, Signature Member
Colorado Watercolor Society, Signature Member
Rocky Mountain National Watermedia Society,
Signature Member

GALLERIES:

Hayden-Hays Gallery, Colorado Springs, CO

Tam O'Neill Fine Arts, Denver, CO

SELECTED EXHIBITS AND AWARDS:

2003 - Denver Botanical Gardens, Fete de Fleur

2002 - Rocky Mountain National Watermedia Exhibition, Foothills Art Center Golden, CO

2000 - Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities, "Plant Secrets", Arvada, CO
•Republic Plaza, "Botanica Spectaculum", Denver, CO
•University of Northern Colorado, one man show "Luminance", Greeley, CO

1999 - American Watercolor Society, 132nd International Exhibition, NY, NY
• Rocky Mountain National Watermedia Exhibition, Foothills Art Center, Golden, CO
• Colorado History Museum, Colorado Watercolor Society State Watermedia Exhibition, Denver, CO - Presidents Award

1998 - Rocky Mountain National Watermedia Exhibition, Foothills Art Center, Golden, CO - Best of Show Award
•Colorado Springs Fine Art Center, "Watermedia IX" Academy of Art College Gallery, California Watercolor Association Open Watercolor Competition, San Francisco, CA - Reid Memorial Award
•Colorado Wyoming Biennial, OneWest Art Center, Ft. Collins, CO
•Washington State Convention and Trade Center, Northwest Watercolor Society's Annual Open Exhibition, Seattle, WA - Award
•Colorado History Museum, Colorado Watercolor Society State Watermedia Exhibition, Denver, COv - Presidents Award

1997 - University of Southern Colorado, "Contemporary Watermedia Invitational", Pueblo, CO
•American Watercolor Society, 130th International Exhibition, New York, NY, and Traveling Exhibition Colorado History Museum, Colorado Watercolor Society State Watermedia Exhibition, Denver, CO - Award for Excellence
•Wichita Art Museum, Kansas Watercolor Society State Exhibition, Wichita, KN

1996 - University of Colorado, "Watermedia VIII", Colorado Springs, CO
•Rocky Mountain National Watermedia Exhibition, Foothills Art Center, Golden, CO - First Federal Savings Bank Award
•Colorado History Museum, Colorado Watercolor Society State Watermedia Exhibition, Denver, CO

1995 - Colorado History Museum, Colorado Watercolor Society State Watermedia Exhibition, Denver, CO

1994 - Metropolitan State Collage Center for the Visual Arts, "Six on Paper", Denver, CO
•Brea Civic and Cultural Center, Watercolor West, Annual National Exhibition XXVI, Brea, CA - Founders Award
•Rocky Mountain National Watermedia Exhibition, Foothills Art Center, Golden, CO
•American Watercolor Society 127th Annual International Exhibition, New York, NY -Paul Schwartz Memorial Award, and Traveling Exhibition Colorado History Museum, Colorado Watercolor Society State Watermedia Exhibition, Denver, CO

1993 - Rocky Mountain National Watermedia Exhibition, Foothills Art Center, Golden, CO - Quaintance Award
•Nevile Public Art Museum, Midwest Watercolor Society 17th Annual National Exhibition, Greenbay, WI
•Colorado History Museum, Colorado Watercolor Society State Watermedia Exhibition, Denver, CO - Award of Merit

1992 - Colorado History Museum, Colorado Watercolor Society State Watermedia Exhibition, Denver, CO
•Pikes Peak Center for the Performing Arts, Pikes Peak Watercolor Society Invitational, Colorado Springs, CO -Best of Show

PUBLICATIONS:

“Collected Best of Watercolor” , Rockport Publishers, 2002

"Best of Watercolor 2", Rockport Publishers, 1997

"Basic Flower Painting, Techniques in Watercolor",
Edited by Rachel Rubin Wolf, Northlight Books, 1996

"Light and Shadow", Rockport Publishers, 1997

"Who's Who In American Art", "Who's Who In the West", "Who's Who in American Women"
"Watercolor Magic",
Winter 1995, Winter 1998

"Rocky Mountain News", Spotlight, Dec. 9 & 11, 1994, Arts & Entertainment, April 10, 2000

"The Denver Post", Weekend, April 29, 1994, The Scene, Aug.29, 1998, June 16, 2000

"Colorado Arts", Aug/Sept, 1993
"The Artist's Magazine" Promotional Brochure, 1993 1997

"The Artist's Magazine",
Nov. 1992

"Las Vegas Review Journal",
May, 1992

"Colorado Homes & Lifestyles", May/June 1991, July/Aug 1998

COLLECTIONS:

Leanin' Tree Museum
of Western Art

Sisters of Charity
Health Care Systems

Clayton G. Mammel Collection

Donald & Susan Sturm Collection

Storage Technology Inc.

Philip Anchutz Collection

Invesco

RELATED ACTIVITIES:

Greeting Cards, Leanin' Tree Publications
National workshops
Freelance Commercial Illustration
Art Students League instructor