Profiles of Contemporary Art and - ARTisSpectrum

Your life has been characterized by a rich variety of interests. How have those affected your work?
When I was growing up, sports played a huge part of my life and in fact that continues to be the case. Over time, I pretty much
played every sport I possibly could, but hockey and tennis became my passion. Tennis still plays a significant part in my life. I
continue to work with adults and children who wish to improve their game.
Has this affected my work? It’s an interesting question. At first thought I would say no, but the truth is that when you are really
engaged in sport, you feel the intensity of competing on a regular basis, and that intensity is something that motivates and
characterizes my art. Moreover, there’s the “chess game” aspect of tennis to consider. When you play tennis, you are mentally
surveying the court the whole time... The angles, the depth, the finesse… All of that is crucial. And one of my strengths was touch
and finesse, something that I think does play its role in my work now.
What advice would you give a younger artist, or someone considering whether to take their art to the professional level?
I have had children come to my studio to paint alongside me. It’s amazing to see the creativity come forth with their initial exposure.
They realize that the overall experience is surrendering to what lies within, something it can take adults a long time to
understand. I think every young person should be given the chance to bring their artistic spirit to fruition.
As far as advice goes for the later stage, when someone is considering taking their art more seriously… I’d say “Don’t hold back,
let it rip and do not overthink.” That’s what you need to give into if you want to know if you can really make art a major part of
your life. In terms of technical advice, I would say that the process should be layered, though that will mean different things for
different artists.
www.PaulCodyArt.com
www.Agora-Gallery.com/Artistpage/Paul_M._Cote.aspx
4 Elements Acrylic & Mixed Media on Canvas 36” x 36”
12 ARTisSpectrum