COCO LARRAIN began her artistic career with a BFA in illustration from Massachusetts College of Art and worked as a freelance illustrator in advertising and book illustration in Boston, MA.
During her first eight of twelve years in New York City, she was an interim art teacher at Pratt Institute and a freelance storyboard illustrator. She managed the commercialand fine art photography studio of Gilles Larrain Inc., and began painting at the School of Visual Arts and the Art Students League.
In 1997 life changes brought her and her son to Cape Cod, Massachusetts where she taught art at The Laurel School in Brewster and was registrar at Castle Hill, Truro Center for the Arts. She then, became the administrative assistant at the Cape Cod Museum of Art in Dennis.
Simultaneously, her experience and survival of breast cancer during her first years on the Cape, opened a door to her deeper understanding of the power and importance of artistic expression, causing her to embrace and create painting as the foreground of her life, when her job position was eliminated at the Museum.
This launched her to create Coco’s Portraits where she specializes in capturing an extraordinary glimpse into the soul of the pets she paints ~ commissioned, life like oil portraits. Coco has a keen ability to capture the spirit essence of whatever she paints or draws. It is her love for the 'essence', the beauty, of all things, which inspires her. Inspiration, as well, comes from the moving, often overwhelming responses she receives from her clients.
Coco has exhibited in solo and group exhibitions and various auctions both on the Cape and in New York City and her work is published on the cover of The American Journal of Nursing, May 2006 with an interior article; The Cape Healing Arts and Cape Cod Magazine Autumn 2006 issue and Cape Cod Magazine Spring 2008 issue. An interview on Coco by NPR entitled, The Price of Paradise can be heard on [LINK] Her work can also be viewed on Art & Design Online.com. She was filmed by Cape Cod Media Center, for a TV program entitled, All Access Cape Cod, Dec 2007.
COCO's studio is shared with her son Lasco and models: Tito Puente, her Cocker Spaniel and Winslow Homer, the cat.
PET PORTRAIT PRICE LIST 2008
PAINTINGS
Oil on canvas with color background, head and some chest, unframed
one pet:
12" x 12" or 14"one pet: $900 to $1200 / two pets: $1400 to $1600
18"or 24" x 24" one pet: $1500/ two pets: $1800
Larger canvases require special pricing and will be quoted on an individual basis.
A 50% deposit is required to begin work.
Please make checks are payable to: COCO's PORTRAITs
mail to:
COCO Larrain
28 South Pond Drive
Brewster, MA 02631
PROCEDURE to commission a portrait:
1. Client sends or emails photos or CD, of pet(s). Ideally, I prefer to photograph your pet if you live on Cape Cod, in Boston or Providence. Once we select the image I would need a 50% deposit to begin the painting.
2. If you are commissioning a birthday, or holiday gift, please plan months ahead to insure time to complete the work for your desired date.
Please allow 3 to 6 weeks, depending on my schedule. I will email images of the completed painting, or if local, you can view the painting at my studio, for approval.
3. Client sends remaining balance due plus tax/shipping/handling if applicable, to artist.
4. Your insured painting will be shipped or delivered.
PHOTOGRAPHIC SUGGESTIONS for submitting photos
1. Lighting is everything. Natural, golden afternoon light is best, wait for this light that gives beautiful golden highlights. Spring and summer evenings from 6 pm to 7:30 pm is the ideal time. An overcast day can provide nice even lighting as well but less dramatic.
2. High contrast bright noontime sun makes for very dark shadows, which limits details and washes out color - AVOID. Shooting the pet in the shade prevents sunlight burnout.
3. Shoot close-up headshots from as many angles as possible at the level of your pet or, from the angle of how you want them painted. Try to photograph them looking at you, the eyes are the portal the soul.
4. Fun angles make for an interesting painting, but remember, I will be working from your images so you must like them. If you want the body, make sure you don't crop anything out. I may use a tail from one, feet positions from another etc. So, even if the overall photo is not your favorite, be sure to look at individual 'parts' for their important contribution.
5. Finish your session with a special pet treat, it was fun, hard work, give one to your pet too!
6. You can email images or send a CD.
7. Photograph a background at the same angle of which you shoot your pet (if it is shot separately).
8. Indicate which images are your favorite and why. Send the extras. We'll talk about your pet so I can get to know you both, a little.
9. Good photos are essential. If your images don't give enough information, I may not be able to work from them.
Thank you for your interest and viewing my site.