| behind the brush | COMPILED BY TIA LYNN IVEY
Paint It Black
Artist Chris Cook shares personal insight into his Vietnam
portrait series in honor of Veterans Day.
26 LAKE OCONEE LIVING | FALL 2022 C
“I concentrate
a lot on
looking right
into the
soldiers’ eyes
– as they say,
looking into
their souls. I
have captured
many modes,
expressions,
and emotions
in these
portraits. That
is why they are
really dear to
me.”
Chris Cook is a Madison-based artist
who creates paintings of ”fine art with a
Southern flavor.”
Born in Atlanta, Cook has made his
home in the historic city of Madison
for the last 20 years. He launched his
own company, Madison Studios, a
local web design and digital marketing
firm in the heart of downtown
Madison more than 15 years ago.
Madison Studios doubles as a
gallery, showcasing some of Cook’s
most beloved works, a culmination
of a lifelong artistic journey he began
in childhood. He studied art scholarship
at Reinhardt College where he
won Outstanding Freshman Artist
of the Year. His works have been
exhibited in many shows and galleries
in the metro Atlanta area and
he has garnered various recognition
in countless juried shows over the
decades.
His signature portraits of famous
people have graced the walls of
various galleries and museums, including
The Jubilee Museum located