Featured Artist Coba Beukman

Artist Coba Beukman’s portraits in oil are a celebration of the individual—an acknowledgement of who they are and their life story. See more of Coba’s portfolio visiting her website.

 

 

I once saw a question posed by a fellow artist, “What do you think is the purpose of art?” I didn’t have to think about this because for me, the answer is easy. The act of making/conceptualizing art, or creativity in itself, is the very thing that utterly and completely separates us from animals.

 

 

Art is God’s way of reminding us that we were created in His image—as we create, like He creates. This message is at the core of my art. The purpose of art is to glorify God and so everyone, by being creative, is echoing the creation of the creator and it is the most beautiful form of poetry.

 

 

Therefore, I am predominantly drawn to the subject of portraiture, although I also illustrate and sketch from time to time.

 

 

I like exploring topics of how the spiritual realm and the physical realm interact and interrelate—a concept which alludes to an ongoing series that I’m working on and have not fully made public (but you might see glimpses of it on my Instagram page if you follow me there, and I will reveal more to my newsletter subscribers when I’m ready). Nevertheless, there is always an element of portrait realism in my paintings and my preferred medium has always been oil. Those are the two elements that stay constant as I explore and experiment.

 

 

However, I should maybe backtrack to what brought me to where I am now. Like most artists, creativity has been a driving force in my life since I can remember. Once that bug bites, it’s almost impossible to ignore, and so I always just assumed I would end up being an artist.

 

 

Life, however, gives you curve balls and I never studied at a university or any other art school for that matter. I worked at a communications company for many years as an illustrator, and later as creative director and eventually as the business development manager in Europe. It was at this point, when I felt completely removed from the creative side of the company, that I finally decided to make a change and to return to my first love—painting—something I always felt was calling me.

 

 

My main objective, or career path if you like, is to do portrait commissions although I also develop some personal works and enjoy playing around with the idea of illustration and painting combined.

 

 

Sometimes something inside me just needs to be expressed onto a canvas, or an image I see just needs to be re-seen through the strokes of a brush.

 

 

The reason I prefer commissions is that I like the idea of walking through such a personal experience with a complete stranger. For someone to trust you with something so personal is really quite remarkable and exceptional. I briefly expand on this in my “about” page on my website.

 

 

My purpose is a simple one, to glorify God in everything that I do.

 

Artist Coba Beukman invites you to follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

 

Want to stay current on cutting edge business articles from Artsy Shark, plus artist features, and an invitation to the next Call for Artists? Subscribe to our twice-monthly Updates, and get a free e-book on Where to Sell Art Online right now!