Delicious Texture

I've been working on a series of small heavily textured oil paintings inspired by the cherry blossoms in DC. The first in the series, Afterglow Cherry, 10" x 10", oil on canvas, now available at www.annmariecoolick.com.

Loving this Winter Studio Light

Unexpected effect on this in-work painting from backlighting. #modernart #studio

A photo posted by Ann Marie Coolick (@amcoolick) on Jan 6, 2016 at 2:31pm PST

Tropical Inspiration

I visited the US Botanic Garden in Washington, DC last month and was completely inspired by the bounty of lush palm trees in the Tropical Room. If you haven't been yet, you must!! Here are the first few pieces in my Tropical Canopy series to be continued this winter. Both pieces are available at www.annmariecoolick.com

Above: Tropical Canopy, acrylic on canvas, 36" x 36".

Above: Detail of Tropical Canopy

Above: Bermuda Palm, acrylic on canvas, 20" x 20".

Detail of Bermuda Palm.

Below: photos from the Tropical Room.

Montalto delle Marche

This Christmas I was honored to be chosen for a special commission of Montalto delle Marche, a village in the Province of Ascoli Piceno in the Italian region Marche near the Adriatic Sea. A daughter commissioned this piece for her mom to commemorate their trip to the village where their grandfather was born. Such a special story! If you're thinking of a special commission, email amcoolick@gmail.com for details!

Merry Giveaway!

Hi friends! I'm celebrating reaching 1K Instagram followers and want to toast to all of you who have supported and encouraged me along the way! I'm giving away two prints of your choice from my $50 shop to arrive by Christmas: one for you and one to gift to a friend.
To enter simply:
1. Head over to instagram and follow me @amcoolick
2. Like my "Merry Giveaway" post
3. Tag a friend (up to three for extra entries)
Winner will be announced tomorrow night! Ready, set, go!!

Studio Session

Hi friends! Last weekend I had the privilege of a studio visit from DC photographer Albert Ting. Albert's contemporary photos of architecture and city life are beyond breathtaking so I was thrilled when he offered to take live shots of me painting in the studio. Nothing better than a little local creative collaboration! See more of Albert's work on instagram @Pootie_Ting

Color Pop!

Last night was the opening party for my first curatorial endeavor, Color Pop!, a group show of four women artists from the DC area whose work is focused on bold colors and unique textures. I connected with the artists via the hashtag #acreativedc and it has been an amazing experience getting to know these talented ladies while sharing our creative processes and business ideals. The show will remain up through December so stop on by Whimpop on King Street in Alexandria, VA to check it out! Read below for information about the artists and their contact info.

Bottom right by Ann Marie Coolick, Bottom left by Christine Olmstead, top two by Kristin Try.

Above: Floral Dreamland by Ann Marie Coolick

Above: Rainbow Transparencies by Jordann Wine

Artists from left to right: Ann Marie Coolick, Christine Olmstead, Kristin Try, and Jordann Wine

About the artists:

Ann Marie Coolick has painted in Arlington for over 10 years. She paints exclusively with palette knives and thick frosting-like applications. Ann Marie was a resident artist at the Arlington Arts Center from 2004 until 2009, when her first son was born. She has since exhibited extensively across the mid-Atlantic.

amcoolick@gmail.com IG @amcoolick

Christine Olmstead has been painting for 20 years and for the past 5 years has been focused on abstract pieces. Receiving professional training in realistic charcoal & pencil drawings and oils, she's inspired by the French impressionists. Her artistic goal is simply to uplift the viewer and to encourage others by letting them know that there is beauty and light left in the world.

christine.e.olmstead@gmail.com IG @christineolmstead

Kristin Try is an Alexandria artist with a passion for abstract art. Kristin's journey into the world of art began after the birth of her second daughter, when her search for a creative outlet led her to experiment with interior design and art classes. Kristin's work is also on display nearby at Red Barn Mercantile in Old Town.

kristin@ginghamandgrosgrain.com IG @ginghamandgrosgrain

Jordann Wine is a DC artist who is inspired by a fascination with sacred geometry and the natural beauty of the planet. Working with glitter, she makes use of the medium’s full range of iridescent, opaque, and translucent color qualities, as well as various textures, to push the boundaries of glue and glitter into painting. Jordann is a graduate of New York University, where she studied Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Art; she continued her art studies at the Aegean Center for Fine Arts in Paros, Greece.

info@jordannwine.com IG @jordannwine