Why do you call your work textile paintings?
This term was coined by Holly Murray, the gallery director at Springfield College. I have worked with fiber since my training in textile design at FIT. Once I began working with encaustic, my artwork became more painterly. This description honors all the art that has influenced my work and circumvents the false dichotomy about craft vs. art.
What artists have influenced your work?
There are hundreds, but here is a short list of artists that I continue to look at and find inspiration from: Deborah Butterworth, Betty Woodman, Kyoung Ae Cho, Robert Kushner, William Morris, Robert Rauschenberg, and the indigenous artists from the Amazon Basin and West Africa (see my artist statement).
How does being Jewish figure into your work?
When I was younger, my artwork was more explicitly Jewish (and political) and I was profoundly influenced by feminist Midrashists including Lynn Gottlieb and Judith Plaskow. Now that my work is abstract, I can say that core Jewish themes continue to resonate: defining and longing for a homeland, the conflictual relationship between outsider identity and dominant culture, noticing and honoring the sacred masquerading as prosaic, the intrinsically meditative/davening aspect of artmaking and Tikkun Olam, the hope of every artist.
What advice do you have for younger artists?
The simplest and most elusive advice is: To Thine Own Self Be True. This means committing to the imagery, materials, and lifestyle that most suit you as an artist. Listen to your inner wisdom and muse, not the trends in the marketplace. Get support from people who understand. Can’t find them? Come to one of my workshops. Make art, lots of it. Make art the center of your life. Pursue excellence. A superb body of work must precede all marketing efforts.
What advice do you have for artists with children or who are thinking about having a family?
If you have children, they always come first. If you want an international art career, it’s better not to have a family. Now that my children are grown I can turn my attention towards my art in a way that was not possible earlier. Learning how to surrender and sequence is vital to one’s mental health. It’s essential to claim a studio/room/table or some space devoted to your work no matter how seldom you get there. This ‘room of your own’ will maintain your artist identity and provide you with a place to work when time allows. My workshops address many of the issues that come up for artists trying to balance art making with raising a family.
How do you find balance in your life?
This is one of the hardest aspects of an artist’s life. I had to juggle raising two children as a single mom, running a business (I founded PsychBilling,Inc in 1981 and it has grown to become one of the largest mental health billing agencies in the Northeast) along with maintaining my studio and art career. Taking excellent care of my health and body is an important key to my success and high level of energy.
How do you support yourself as an artist?
Like many artists, my revenue comes from many sources. Primarily it has come from my business, PsychBilling. I am not married so I do not have support from a spouse but if you have one of these, I think it is a wonderful asset! I own a house that has rental income. And increasingly, I earn money from selling my work, from commissions, lectures, coaching and workshops.
Support comes in other forms. I have been in the same artist’s support group for over twenty years. This group formed after one of my workshops and I feel fortunate to be surrounded by colleagues who understand the stresses and conflicts inherent in balancing the artist’s life.
How would someone approach you about a commission?
I enjoy the collaboration inherent in commission work. Generally, the buyer or designer would contact me to discuss the project. Together we would develop the size, design, budget and timeline. Commissions start at $5,000 and are based on a price per square foot.
Why are you called Cobra?
During my first year in Mexico, I lived with a Mexican family that included two 8 year old twins. The girls couldn't pronounce my name correctly and it came out as Cobra. The name stuck and now everyone in Mexico calls me that.
