Kandi Cota
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About the Artist
KANDI COTA is a contemporary California abstract expressionist whose talents were first discovered and encouraged at age six. Kandice’s mixed media, abstract, landscape and figurative work is influenced by her kaleidoscopic life’s experience and uses her perception of color and movement to transform the canvas into a captured living moment. Her use of light and color to personify the passion in her subjects exemplifies the mark of a true Impressionist. Her mastery of color, texture and perspective are the elements Kandice uses to re-define the vibrant and fulfilled life she paints.
ARTIST STATEMENT Kandi’s work embodies the feelings of travel and movement toward adventure. Her process evolves in layers and across many paintings simultaneously she dances about each canvas like children that need to be doted on. She starts with a black or color paint layer to establish the feeling and ground for the context of the composition. Sometimes it moves from a spray to a block solid for definition and texture. Then she utilizes fabric, fiber and substrates to further define key movements. Those movements then transform and move about through the use of oil and acrylic paints. She likes the matte with the oily. She breaks all the rules in her freedom to frolic with the subject matter, leaving no stone unturned with delight.
Cota’s work is at the same time heady and free spirited, but looking from afar, the subject becomes clear and simplified. Step closer and realize the thoughtfulness in each stroke of her work and how it transforms the canvas into exhilarating moments of emotional depth and freedom.Bio
BIOGRAPHY Kandi Cota was born near Houston, Texas as Kandice Boyle, the fifth child of seven. She spent her school age years, moving every two to three, discovering new locales around the world. Her relocating homefront took her to Spain, Taiwan, Indonesia and several states across America. Her parent's appreciation of art and tours of the European museums and country sides inspired her passion for painting. By the time she was five, she was actively drawing figures and expressing her thoughts visually on paper. She began formal training in painting at age fourteen when she was painting the figure in professional studio classes. By age sixteen she was becoming adept at plein aire painting.
She spent her high school years in training for sculpture, drawing and painting with some very accomplished and classically trained artists. During this time, she also studied at Cranbrook Academy of Art, Birmingham Art Association, and the acclaimed Center for Creative Studies in Detroit to get a wider exposure to artistic styles and techniques.
After receiving numerous scholarships, she studied under partial scholarship at the University of Michigan School of Art and Design in Ann Arbor. It was there that she studied under Chinese master painter Mignonette Cheng and honed her evolved Impressionist style. Cheng invited her to study in Florence and around the Tuscan villages of Italy. There Kandice spent many days in the museums and painting the vineyard lined countryside.
After completing her Bachelor's degree in Fine Art she went on to study painting and business at the graduate level at the University of South Carolina. She received her Master’s degree in Business and then moved to Northern California to take advantage of the majestic West Coast locations. Moving south, she then began painting the coasts from Santa Cruz and Monterey down to Laguna Beach. She continues to travel and share her kaleidescopic memories through paintings of the beach cities, bridges, children and farmer's markets throughout California.
Kandi now brings this expertise to big brands and tech startup product groups as Partner and Chief Creative Officer at San Francisco based design and innovation firm 17seconds.