Author Archives: cocoxoxo

I’ve moved.

That’s right, new year, new website.
From now on I’ll be posting at Coco Connolly on squarespace. I like the clean presentation options for showing portfolios. I hope you find it easy. And you will be able to purchase original paintings starting in April 2018. 

Setting up the SHOP situation proved to be a little more daunting than I expected. But, hey, I’m the art person, not the bean counter. Having to research Terms, Shipping and Privacy Policies …wasn’t the most fun I’ve ever had. Of course, there’s a place online I found that generates this legal copy. Termsfeed was helpful. Although I did rewrite some of it in my own voice. It was good to have a basic template. And don’t get me started on shopify vs woo vs etsy vs jimdo … ACK.

Enough of that. The fun part. Working with designer Karen Kopacz. Yes, even though I am a designer, it was challenging to work on my own site. Karen made the task so much easier. She helped create a beautiful environment for viewing the artwork.

I worked with photographer Seth Iverson and stylist Meredith Warner on a series of photographs that feature the art in a lifestyle environment. Below is one of many shots we captured for use on the website. Dream Team. I could make things with those two all day.

So there you go. I hope you can stop by the new site. Let me know what you think via my new Contact form : ) I’m looking forward to getting back to arting.
gallery of watercolor portraits, artist Coco Connolly

Drawing dancers

I don’t know what rabbit hole I went down online and discovered the work of dancer, choreographer Momo Sanno. What a find. I am really moved by his work. And by what he writes about the work.

“… it’s very difficult to stay right here, where  you are, to see the colours in front of your eyes without judging them, to listen to the music, to the sound of your own foot steps. To be here with the current self – with your body, with your mind, with your spirit and with your feelings.
You story is unique and is worth discovering your rhythm of life, it’s worth spending time to discover who you are, why you are doing this, which direction you are going to…”

This portrait was inspired by a photo on Momo’s site. You can view his dancing here.

portraits, watercolor, dancers, Momo Sanno

Momo Sanno

Little big book for Friend and Johnson artists.

New look book for Friend and Johnson artist representatives

New look book for Friend and Johnson artist representatives

coco-connolly_fjLookBook_rinee-shah

coco-connolly_fjLookBook_jeff-lukerCollaborated with artist Rinee Shah on the cover of this portfolio of work showcasing 19 fabulous illustrators and photographers. Design challenge to show the diverse work in one 84 page 6 x 6 inch book format. Printed on McCoy Silk from SAPPI paper. Beautiful stock. Shapco Printing in Minneapolis produced the books on time and on point!

Feeling blue.

coco-connolly_bluePromo_friendandjohnson1

Mailing this week. New promo for the illustrators of Friend and Johnson. Type by Rinee Shah. Butterfly by Caroline Tomlinson.

VIEWING BLUE MAY SLOW YOUR HEART RATE. BUT WHAT BLUE? SO MANY BLUES.
caroline tomlinson, new artist at Friend and Johnson coco-connolly_jill-calder_f+jPromo coco-connolly_rinee-shah_f+jPromo coco-connolly_sean-mosher-smith_f+jPromo coco-connolly_tim-tomkinson_f+jPromo

I gathered some random blue thoughts to run along side the illustrations. I liked the idea that blue could possibly calm the heart rate. I could use some of that this week…I’ll say no more! You know what I’m talking about.

BLUE IS A COLOR THAT SUGGESTS PEACE. AS THE COLOR OF THE SPIRIT, IT INVOKES REST AND CAN CAUSE THE BODY TO PRODUCE CHEMICALS THAT ARE CALMING AND EXUDE FEELINGS OF TRANQUILITY. INDIGO, FADED INK, TWILIGHT, BLUEBIRD, CORNFLOWER, DENIM, SAPPHIRE. LIGHT BLUE IS THE COLOR MOST LINKED TO CREATIVITY. SKY BLUE IS THE MOST CALMING SHADE OF BLUE.

SKY BLUE INSPIRES SAFETY AND SERENITY. 53% OF THE WORLD’S FLAGS USE BLUE. AND SO MANY CORPORATE LOGOS. DARK BLUE REPRESENTS KNOWLEDGE, POWER, INTEGRITY, AND SERIOUSNESS. THE BUSINESS POWER SUIT, BLUE UNIFORMS OF POLICE. GREEKS USE BLUE TO WARD OFF THE EVIL EYE. IN AMERICA BLUE IS SOMETIMES SAD, FEELING BLUE, SINGING THE BLUES. IN GERMAN TO BE BLUE, BLAU SEIN, IS TO BE DRUNK. BLUE IS A FAVORITE COLOR OF PEOPLE ALL AROUND THE WORLD. AZURE, BERYL, CERULEAN, COBALT… WHICH BLUE ARE YOU?                 

design: COCO CONNOLLY

Now showing in Graphis Design Annual 2018

St Jude_coco-connolly_invite2016_1

St Jude_coco-connolly_2016-invite

Creative Director Jen Sheeler from FAME does it again. Another lovely invite for the worthy cause of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Here’s what the agency had to say about the project for their recognition in GRAPHIS 2018 :
It can be tough to convince the black-tie crowd to get spiffy again right after the holidays. Apparently many of them suffer from ‘event fatigue’ so it’s critical to convince them that your event is worthy. So when Fame client St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital partnered with the Golden Globes for a private screening gala in multiple markets, Fame romanced the fun of getting gussied up and going out to see the stars claim their hard-won prizes. (All to benefit the kids and families of St. Jude.) Original fashion-sketch-style illustrations were donated by a local artist, and the vibrant red truly broke through in both traditional and digital channels.

“Local artist” would be moi. : )

adventures in Hawaii

Waiting for Spring to arrive in Minnesota. It’s been bleak here on the tundra. No snow, endless landscape in shades of grey and brown.

sketching my landscape on small paper samples from Legion Paper in NY

sketching my current view on small paper samples from Legion Paper in NY

Wistfully remembering my month in Hawaii, on the Big Island with Zoe. Wondering if I should work my sketches into larger paintings. I was so all over the place, people, landscape, flowers…my new friends; Ugly Pig and Gimpy Chicken. And the colors are so different than I am use to seeing.

Churches are not this color in Minneapolis!

Churches are not this color in Minneapolis!

north-kohala

I do love these fields of green. Site of ancient taro fields, North Kohala.

watercolor portrait

Zoe sleeping on the beach

flowers from the Waimea farmer's market

flowers from the Waimea farmer’s market

hills of Waimea

hills of Waimea

painting pigs and chickens

Ugly Pig and his best friend Gimpy Chicken. This 8 year old arthritic chicken flew the coup. Ran off to the pig pen where this “tamed” wild pig lives. They live together like a crabby old married couple.