|
Welcome to COCOA!
The Colorado Coalition of Artists is a non-profit artist cooperative. CoCOA was started by artists and is self sustained by the members who volunteer and participate. CoCOA unifies artists in the community and provides a common meeting ground where artistic products are worked on, displayed and sold. This cooperative encourages an enriching and creative environment for artistic expression and dialogue for artists and the community.
CoCOA Offers:
• Painting Classes
• Drawing Classes
• Non-Instructed Figure Sessions
• Free Portrait Session
• Gallery Space
• Art Workshops
• Exhibition Opportunities
CoCOA Member Art Events
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Look for us at our new location in the
Poudre River Arts Center at 402 North College Avenue
Upcoming shows:
Gallery Rental for September Available
October - WOW Fort Collins - Auction & Benefit for CoCOA
The mission of the “WOW Fort Collins Art Auction and Show”is to pay
forward to artists in the community , to give them an opportunity for
their art to be sold internationally, to showcase their art and to create
money for the non profit group CoCOA.
November - Jennifer Bunge
December- Member Show
A Message from the Director
If you are thinking of getting involved, or want to learn more, please contact us at 221-3019, or email info@cocoaart.com. As CoCOA grows, new opportunities for interactions occur, unifying artists in the community, and boosting creativity and thought. Together we can make it great! Enjoy. .
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Education in a Tube
September 5, 2008
Dear Artist,
This letter may sound like an ad. In a way it is,
but it's unsolicited--I'm not on the payroll. Golden Paints has introduced a new
line called Open Acrylics. The idea is to offer acrylic painters a chance to
really relax and take their time without the business of quick drying as in
normal acrylics. The new product stays wet or tacky up to ten times longer than
normal heavy-bodied acrylics. Further, they can be worked together with the
standard products and made to speed up or slow down drying times according to
percentages mixed.
I've been using them straight up and in various
mixtures for a week or so, and I like them. Right out of the tube, or with the
special thinner, you can be positively languorous--even in direct sunlight. I
was blown away. They mix and blend like a dream, and false starts and boo-boos
can be scrubbed into oblivion or gradated away with a rag. They stay
water-miscible, so you can get effects you can't get with the
regulars.
There are a few things you have to watch out for. The Golden
Product Information Sheet is worth reading before you begin. For starters, the
dedicated thinner contains no binders. It looks to me like there are a minimum
of acrylic binders in the pigments anyway--but there is a volatile medium that
is slow to evaporate. Golden recommends 30 days drying before final
varnish.
I found that once things were going nicely I could force dry
with moderate heat. This may not be advisable. Acrylics in general require
curing rather than drying. Further, adherence or clouding problems may arise if
you pile impasto or a regular glaze on an uncured surface. My advice is to
consciously take a little longer between stages. This is good for the old
creativity machine as well. Especially for those of us who multitask, the use of
Open Acrylics takes the pressure off and lets you fool around
more.
Because the Open Acrylics still have Golden's trusted richness, you
can cut down your palette. I've been working with a small kit of six pigments:
Titanium White, Hansa Yellow Opaque, Phthalo Blue (green shade), Phthalo Green
(blue shade), Pyrrole Red, Quinacridone Magenta. You can mix some mighty
sophisticated hues, including gorgeous darks and earth tones, from this tiny
outfit. It's an education.
Best regards,
Robert
|
|
|
|
|
|