Shadow and Showers
48 x 36 in.
Acrylic on canvas

John D. Cogan is one of the 25 featured artists who participated in the 10th annual Grand Canyon Celebration of Art September 8-15, 2018, painting plein air on the South Rim of the Canyon. An exhibit and sale of their work opened at Kolb Studio on September 16. The exhibit and sale will be open daily through January 21, 2019.

Cogan of Farmington, New Mexico strives to capture the splendor of the landscapes of the American Southwest. After studying physics at Rice University, he soon made painting his lifelong vocation. Working almost exclusively in acrylic, his focus is on color and the transient effects of light, with strong attention to detail.

The Grand Canyon has been Cogan’s favorite subjects and he has painted it hundreds of times in all seasons and weather. He has participated in all ten of the Grand Canyon Celebration of Art events. His 2012 studio painting Out of the Depths won the purchase award that year, becoming part of the permanent collection of Grand Canyon Conservancy. He was awarded “Best of Show” in 2015. He has also spent time on the North and South Rims as Artist in Residence.

In addition to the plein air work created during the event, all the CoA artists submit a Grand Canyon themed studio painting. Speaking of his painting Shadow and Showers, Cogan says:

“The Grand Canyon is not only about geology and the Colorado River, it is also about the atmosphere and its weather. Even on a perfectly clear day, the sky sneaks down into the canyon causing the far walls to turn lighter and bluer. As the sun rises or sets, it inflamed disk paints the temples and buttes multi-shades of orange and red. And when the storms come, the rains sink below the horizon and the shadows of clouds float over the land, enveloping the Canyon in mist and mystery.”

For more information please visit:
https://www.grandcanyon.org/events/
or contact Kathy Duley [email protected] or 480.277.0458.