Angeli Coover - Conveying Emotion Through Art
The studio of Angeli Coover is surrounded with large windows and trays full of colorful pastels. The space is warm, cozy, inspiring, and all the things that inspire her to create. Through color, Coover expresses her mood and feeling and transforms them into works of art.
Her father often told her and her sister that everyone has a gift and a purpose. No matter how outlandish your dream may seem to others, you can do and be anything you choose to be.
What is your background?
Angeli Coover: I was born and raised on a vegetable farm north of Denver, Colorado with the majestic Rocky Mountains in the background.
Both of my parents’ families emigrated from Italy to the United States in the late 1800’s for a better life for their families. Most of our friends were farmers, nursery growers, and entrepreneurs that influenced my life. I loved the family businesses where women worked alongside their fathers, brothers, and husbands. In many instances, they ended up running the family business. Equality was never in question.
My art background is a mix of being self-taught, mentored, and attending workshops with some of the best-known painters in the nation.
What is your message to art collectors?
Be Bold! My work is to empower women, not for gender superiority, but for respect and equality. My motherly advice to my two daughters was this, ‘don’ t be a wall flower!’ If you believe in something, stand up and be heard. Sometimes you have to be the voice. It may be scary, but it is the right thing to do. My grandmother always said this, and it took me a while to really grasp the meaning. She was a powerful force ahead of her time.
What inspires you?
It took years for me to figure out what inspired me. I painted big bright landscapes and would always gravitate back to flowers. When I drive by farms and see vegetables and wildflowers in the open fields, or flower gardens in someone’s yard, or bouquets in a flower shop or grocery store, I am always drawn to the colors. Seeing a painting resonate with the viewer is the best part of being an artist.
What artists influenced you the most?
Today we see so many artists out there, on social platforms, sharing their work. There are many artists that I follow, and the common thread is color and energy.
Georgia O’Keeffe - for her big bold paintings and pursuing her dream as a female artist in a male-dominated world that she was often reminded of.
Wolf Kahn - I love his bold use of color, light, and the way he painted landscapes.
Michelangelo - My mother had a book on her coffee table of Michelangelo’s paintings and sculptures that I would study. Growing up in a Catholic Church with all the hand painted frescoes, visiting the Sistine Chapel, viewing the Pieta, and David, the spirituality, and emotions he expressed in his work influenced me at a young age.
To learn more about Angeli Coover’s art,
please visit www.AngeliCoover.com