What inspires your art practice?
My art is inspired by my love affair with the Cornish coast. Daily walks by the sea along the coastal paths, noticing changes in the coastal foliage, the light on the water, the exposed rocks and the ever-changing coastal skies – these all inspire me to paint.
I paint as a way of responding to the emotions felt on those walks – sometimes joyful, other times deeper. Capturing a moment in time, my paintings also capture a sense of both the timelessness and the transience of the coastal landscape.
What technique do you use?
I am a process led painter – I try to let the paint tell its own story. I work mainly in oil and cold wax, layering on, scraping back, working into it until it says what I want it to say. This process is a bit like the action of the tides for me, ebbing and flowing. Knowing when to stop is the difficult bit!
Can you describe how you create each artwork?
I start with choosing a colour palette – usually limited to 3 colours plus white. Then I put some paint down, move it around, take some off and start over! I rarely use a brush, preferring to have less control over my marks.
How important is the Coast Path to you?
I am so lucky to have part of the Coast Path on my doorstep and love how easy it is to access. Although most of my paintings are focussed on where I now live, I often visit other bits of the Coast Path to walk, sketch and be inspired.
What is your favourite place on the Cornish Coast?
It has to be St Ives! Although Falmouth would be a close second.
What season do you love to paint?
I love to paint all the seasons – storm tossed winter seas, spring wildflowers along the coastal paths, soft summer hues and rich autumn tones.
Tell us about Prime Women Artists that you helped to form
When I first moved part-time to Cornwall I struggled to find other artists to link up with. I had met a like-minded artist on Instagram and we decided to meet in person to paint together, initially in my studio and then on the beach. We realised there must be many women like us who were working in isolation and feeling a bit inadequate. We decided to set up a network to bring older women artists together for mutual support and exhibiting opportunities. This was a wonderfully successful initiative and led to many group exhibitions and social meet ups. We were inundated with people wanting to join us and finally closed the books at 150.
The network now runs mostly in the background with small local or subject specific events and social gatherings. The ethos is very much about collaboration rather than competition and it has been a privilege to have helped encourage and empower so many. Our next exhibition will be a textile exhibition, ‘Unruly Threads’ at the Poly in Falmouth.
Follow @primewomenartists on Instagram.
About Maggie
Maggie graduated with a Fine Art degree from the University of Chichester in 2017 after completing an Art and Design Diploma at Fareham College in 2011. She completed the Porthmeor Mentoring Programme at the St Ives School of Painting in 2020
Inspired by the Cornish light and creative energy she recently moved to live full time in Cornwall. Her paintings capture the light on the Cornish coast and her joy at being there.
Her paintings are in private collections around the world, in three luxury hotels in Cornwall and in a number of galleries around the country. She regularly runs retreats and workshops to share her love of painting.
She is a co-founder of Prime Women Artists, a network set up to support women artists living and working in Cornwall.
She donates regularly to Surfers Against Sewage and UK based marine conservation charity Sea-Changers and loves that she can use her art to help conserve the marine environment that she is so passionate about. Maggie also recently joined as a member of the South West Coast Path Association – thank you for your support Maggie.
Follow Maggie
Website: https://maggiecochranart.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maggiecochranartist/
Upcoming Exhibitions
Inspired by the Coast Series
If you are an artist, or know someone who you think we should feature, please get in touch. Email aletha@southwestcoastpath.org.uk
You can view all our ‘Inspired by the Coast’ artists HERE.
The South West Coast Path 