Today we’d like to introduce you to CoCo Zentner.
CoCo, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I have possessed artistic curiosity since I was a child. Thankfully, my parents noticed my affection towards art and quickly enrolled me in every art lesson possible in my small hometown in Louisiana. While the affirmation of my family was encouraging, I had an art teacher named Cynthia Day Neely that took notice of my passion and allowed me to join her adult art classes when I was only in the 6th grade. I would spend long hours after school learning everything I possibly could from her, and to this day, her methods still resonate with me. Mrs. Neely pushed me in ways that no one ever had, and I gained the confidence to pursue art as a career after my artwork was selected to be in the United States Capitol. I realized that my passion for art needed to be cultivated and that it was not just a hobby. Through Mrs. Neely and other mentors that helped along the way, I chose to obtain a Bachelor in Fine Arts and a minor in business at the University of Texas at Austin.
While I had many phenomenal teachers at UT that taught me techniques that are still being utilized, I was unsure of how to turn my passion of art into a business. I decided in my last year of college that it was essential for me to learn more about the business world; so, I went a completely opposite direction and took a position at a large technology company. I continually painted commissions and made time to spend in front of my easel; however, my job slowly chipped away at my creative energy as I continually climbed the corporate ladder. After 4.5 years at my company and many long conversations with my now husband, I decided that I had to pursue my dream of being a full-time artist. We put together a business model and converted our spare bedroom into a studio, and I quit.
I have only been painting full-time for roughly four months, and I haven’t looked back at my decision once. Although there are definitely moments where I wrestle with self-doubt, I wake up every morning so eager to create and hopefully bring more beauty into this world.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
Being from Louisiana, the culture and liveliness of the state has played a large role in my artwork. I grew up with a family that had an affinity for flowers and nature – which has become the primary subject for me over the past few years. The people, food, and energy of Louisiana influence the vivid color and composition of my semi-representational pieces. Each stroke has purpose, some marks refined and others to convey certain meanings in not such a literal way. Lately, my work has become more abstracted as I have been inspired by artists such as Cy Twombly. However, I have always been fascinated by the Impressionists Movement and artists like Monet. I have always enjoyed working on a larger scale as it allows me to embrace the painting on a more personal and intimate level, but have begun to paint on a smaller scale as it has challenged my approach to painting. Essentially, my ultimate goal is to give objects that are often overlooked greater meaning. I have always worked with oil on canvas and experiment every now and then with pastel, charcoal, and paper.
Do current events, local or global, affect your work and what you are focused on?
I think the beauty of art is that the creator is given a voice and stance to approach any topic if he/she’s liking, and viewers can all interpret artwork differently. Because of this, and how quickly things can be spread via media and social platforms today, we artists have a great opportunity to speak our minds on small and large levels. I don’t necessarily think that our roles of artists have changed, but I do think that we now have the ability to create work that can reach larger audiences than ever before, and our impact can be very large.
We often hear from artists that being an artist can be lonely. Any advice for those looking to connect with other artists?
I get asked this question so often! I am a pretty social person, so I knew that one of the biggest challenges that I would face would be loneliness. I firmly believe that networking is crucial to any career, & I think it is pertinent to meet others in the community that are like-minded and whom face similar business challenges. I try to allocate one day a week to get coffee with local entrepreneurs and artists, & I’ve joined several women and entrepreneur groups (you can google these in your local area or find them through social media platforms to start out). I also challenge myself to set ‘x’ number of meetings with clients and/or interior designers throughout the month. Another fun work perk is to find your go-to coffee place so that if/when you need to devote a lot of time to focus on admin work, you’ll get a change of scenery (and usually the baristas will begin to recognize you!). I have a mentor here in Austin where we meet quite often, and a goal of mine is to eventually help mentor someone that is taking the leap of becoming a full-time entrepreneur as well. I think mentorship is such a wonderful way to hold yourself accountable and to push yourself to be a great example to others.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
For now, my work can be viewed and bought all online on my website at www.cocozentner.com. I have plans to showcase my work throughout other cities in Texas and nearby states later in 2019 that will all be announced via my website, social media, and to my email subscribers. I plan to do a number of home shows where I will be displaying my work in homes, where a portion of the proceeds will be donated to a charity in that city. I also take a limited number of commissions throughout the year – inquiries can be sent to my email at info@cocozentner.com.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cocozentner.com
- Phone: 512-593-1103
- Email: info@cocozentner.com
- Instagram: @cocozentner_art
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/CoCoZentnerArt
Image Credit:
Kayla Snell Photography
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