special issue 1
// a r t
Title: First Kiss // Artist: Janet Cooke
about the piece
| First Kiss was inspired by the birth of a friend’s baby. Directly after the c-section, during their first skin-to-skin contact, the baby grasped her mother’s eye-socket and started sucking on her mother’s cheek. I was struck by the beautiful and timeless image of the first moments of motherhood and decided to paint the image in oil, in an idealized rather than realistic way—without hospital trappings and the toll of labor—to emphasize the deep, enduring, and peaceful bond between mother and child. |
about the artist // Janet Cooke
| Born in the North Fork of Long Island, NY, Janet Cooke (she/her) worked at a major book publisher in sales and strategic planning for many years, before retiring to pursue her dream of becoming an oil painter. Inspired by beauty, tranquility, and serenity, Janet’s expressively realistic canvases are a testament to her love for evoking emotion. Janet has a BA in English Literature from Brooklyn College, and studied painting at the Arts Center of the Capital Region and the Ilium Atelier in Troy, NY. Her art has been shown at various venues in the Albany area, including the Paul Nigra Center for Creative Arts, the JRM Artists’ Space at the National Bottle Museum, Albany Center Gallery, and the Lapham Gallery. Janet is a member of the American Impressionist Society, Oil Painters of America, the National Oil and Acrylic Painters’ Society, and the Lower Adirondack Regional Arts Council. |
Instagram: @janet_cooke_art
Website: http://www.janetcookefineart.com
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