Fresh Paint Magazine Blog
January 23rd, 2015 - Arlington, VA
Fresh Paint Magazine Blog, December 30, 2014. "Ann Marie Coolick"
“Using only palette knives and paint straight from the tube, Ann Marie is an expressionist impasto painter focusing on colorful and bold contemporary landscapes and abstract pieces. Relying primarily on memory, Ann Marie’s recent body of work references natural elements, including visual enlargements of foliage from her backyard in the city of Arlington, Virginia. She has recently been exploring the process of abscission and the seasonal shedding of leaves and bark from trees. She slathers frosting-like paint layer upon layer onto the canvas, with paint running off the edges resulting in a sculptural, three-dimensional appearance. Inspired by expressionist artists Joan Mitchell and Frank Auerbach, Ann Marie considers her style a blend of expressionism and impressionism. She has three young boys who no doubt influence her energetic and lively painting style.
Ann Marie has exhibited throughout the mid-Atlantic region with recent solo exhibits at the Arlington Arts Center, the Manassas Center for the Arts at the Candy Factory, the Glen Allen Arts Center, Capital One Richmond, and the Hyton Performing Arts Center. She was a Resident Artist at the Arlington Arts Center from 2004 to 2009 where she regularly had solo exhibitions and volunteered. Ann Marie graduated from Virginia Tech Summa Cum Laude with a BA in Studio Art (painting concentration) and a BS in Marketing Management. She grew up in Manassas, VA and first developed a love for painting in her high school art class. She currently splits time between painting and watching her three preschool and toddler boys, who no doubt influence her bold and active painting style.”-Ann Marie