MEET THE ARTIST: GINA COCHRAN

We’re excited to introduce a mixed-media artist we absolutely love, Gina Cochran. Gina is someone we connect with because she truly celebrates what she loves. She took a “little break” from her day job to paint more, and that break turned into a 20-year career of painting full-time! Gina describes her work as a visual representation of the emotional responses to all the things she experiences on any ordinary day. She says her work comes from a place of resolution, gratitude and ultimately happiness.

Born and raised in the Shoals area of north Alabama, Gina has lived in Florida, North Carolina and most recently Northern Virginia. In December 2021, with her husband and son, Gina returned to her hometown in north Alabama.

We wanted to learn more about how she got started and what she finds inspiring. Here’s what she shared…

HOW DID YOU START CREATING YOUR ART?

I have always liked to experiment and get my hands dirty. I don’t really remember a time when I wasn’t creating something. I took a few design classes, photography, drawing and pottery classes in undergrad, but as a painter I am self-taught. My background is in mental health counseling and while I was working in that field, I came home from work every day and painted, it was my way of processing the day, I think. My husband suggested I take a little break from work and just paint. I did and that was almost 2 decades ago. At that time, I was exploring acrylic and mixed media, I am still doing that–but I also work in encaustic and collage–very different techniques and results, addicted to both.

DO YOU HAVE ANY FAVORITE PROJECT STORIES TO SHARE WITH US?

All of them! Lately a huge part of my time has been spent doing custom work, commissions. I enjoy the interaction with clients and the things they share with me about their homes, families, and lives–it’s an honor to be a small part of that. It’s always fun to learn your work is going into a trendy hotel or becoming a part of a prestigious collection–but it’s every bit as rewarding to learn your piece is the first piece of art a young family has purchased, or it’s being commissioned to mark a special occasion.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING WHEN YOU'RE NOT PAINTING?

Spending time with the people I love, hubby and I love cooking together, yoga, gardening–seeds are fascinating, reading, writing, playing games–usually several a day, meditating, listening to music. I am a curious person, I need to always be actively learning new things–right now that’s French which is going verrrry slowly, but it’s equally awkward and beautiful to me and I love the pursuit of it.

We enjoy Gina’s work so much we commissioned a series of her paintings in our studio. Since they’re commissioned pieces, we were able to choose the perfect color scheme to complement our space.

The pieces we purchased were done in the encaustic painting style. What’s Encaustic painting? Good question. Encaustic painting, also known as hot wax painting, is a form of painting that involves using a heated wax to which colored pigments have been added. The hot mix is then applied to a surface such as prepared wood or canvas and then a heating element is passed over the surface until the individual brush or spatula marks fuse into a uniform film. Gina's approach with encaustic primarily focuses on collage; simple shapes, hard edges & lines, and color to drive the process.

To see more of Gina’s work, visit her website and be sure to follow her on Instagram @gina_cochran_artist. She has a great IG feed and her posts brighten my day. Enjoy!