Calamity Cole

Calamity Cole, a Pop-Surrealist artist hailing from the sunny climes of Southern California, has made her home and studio in the picturesque mountain town of Crestline, nestled within the San Bernardino mountains. Despite her valiant struggle with rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune condition that has, at times, cruelly robbed her of the use of her hands, Cole is currently in a state of remission, a fact that brings her great joy.

Her artistic vision is profoundly shaped by the natural world and its myriad of peculiar inhabitants, drawing inspiration from the vintage charm of 1950s illustrations, the rich tapestry of folklore, the whimsical realm of monsters, and the feline grace of cats. Cole invites us to journey through the fantastical realms of her imagination, guided by the innocent gaze of young girls who often take center stage in her compositions. In a bold departure from the orthodoxy of art academies, she embraces narrative art with fervor, aligning herself with the suggestivism movement, which advocates for the evocative power of art to stir the soul.

Cole's oeuvre is a testament to her desire to awaken a yearning for the forgotten enchantment of our youth and a nostalgic remembrance of the boundless freedom of childhood. Her academic journey included studies at the prestigious School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the Art Institute of San Francisco, where she developed a penchant for oil painting, eventually branching out into mixed media.

In her creative practice, Cole employs a diverse array of mediums, including pyrography, watercolor, charcoal, UV ink, decoupage, and gold leaf, showcasing her penchant for innovation. She delights in incorporating unconventional materials to add a layer of kinetic detail to her works, such as using UV flashlights to reveal hidden layers of invisible ink, thus adding a touch of interactive magic to her art.

Through her art, Cole aspires to evoke a sense of childhood wonder and the beauty of both delightful dreams and haunting nightmares, inviting us to reconnect with the magic that once seemed so palpable in our younger days.