Text by Holly Seng
An appreciation for art—both its beauty and history—has long captured the fascination of Alabama-based artist Alicia Cook, whose enchanting floral oil paintings transport viewers into the dreamy depths of a quintessential cottage garden.
“I have early memories of visiting my grandparents’ home and poring over their Time-Life Library of Art books,” Alicia recalls. “The Van Gogh and Cézanne editions were my favorites, and I wanted to learn to paint like that.”
Alicia’s innate desire to learn and create was encouraged early on by her parents, who enrolled her in an oil painting class in middle school. She went on to study painting at Birmingham-Southern College, later earning a master’s degree in art history from the University of Alabama.
“I think my enthusiasm for art history has deeply inspired my art,” Alicia notes. “I wrote my graduate school thesis on Edgar Degas and his gilded handheld fans. He was very experimental with paint and pastels, and that has given me the courage to mix my materials to achieve the desired effect for each of my projects.”
Initially, her post-college artwork focused on pet portraits—a subject she dedicated herself to for a decade. When she found herself ready for a change of scenery, it was the natural splendor outside her window that provided the perfect muse. From her personal garden to scenic drives in the Alabama countryside and family trips to the mountains of North Georgia, she found beauty and inspiration abounding in nature, often finding its way into her picturesque paintings.
“Some of my personal favorite pieces are paintings of the ‘Antique Shades’ pansies and the ‘Eden Climber’ and ‘Sally Holmes’ roses that all grow in our home garden,” Alicia says. “I think I’m partial to those paintings because I watched the flowers’ creation process.”
Her own creative process plays as heartfelt a role in her work as nature in its subject, as Alicia eagerly welcomes an exciting idea and the anticipation of bringing it to life before completing a piece and sharing it with others. “Art is so much about connection,” she says. “Sending it out to the world is like a completion to the process.”
When it comes to selecting artwork for your home, Alicia’s advice is simple: “I think art needs to be a personal, honest reflection of the people living in the home,” she says. “If you find art that moves you or speaks to you in some positive, beautiful way, then it’s the right fit.”
For more information, visit aliciaart.com.
