Alex Cole is a Sonoma Valley-based artist whose painting practice spans more than 30 years. Her work is held in private collections throughout the United States, Europe, and Canada, and has been featured in Rue Magazine, Sonoma Magazine, CA Home, and other publications. She has also been included in Wild Lands and Artists of the Bay Area by Jen Tough, and was selected as a featured artist for Pottery Barn’s original art collections.
Known for her expressive landscape paintings, Cole draws inspiration from her travels and the natural beauty of Northern California. Rather than depicting specific locations, she paints from memory and feeling, allowing each work to become a more abstract interpretation of place. Her paintings invite viewers to connect with their own sense of landscape, memory, and emotional experience.
Her newest collection explores the idea of contrast through acrylic paint, pencil, and mixed media. Color, line, surface, and texture move through the work, reflecting the shifting beauty found in nature, architecture, and the often-overlooked details of daily life. Through layered surfaces and nuanced transitions, Cole encourages the viewer to pause, look closely, and move through the painting as one might move through a remembered landscape.
In addition to her studio practice, Cole is also a dedicated teacher. Through workshops and retreats held throughout the Bay Area and abroad, she guides students in accessing their own creative instincts through nature, collage, texture, and experimentation. Her teaching celebrates the unexpected marks and accidental discoveries that make each artwork deeply personal and entirely unique.
