Crystal Cox started painting again in 2013, professionally in 2015 after a series of personal storms subsided. “At times my life has been a fairytale and other times a terrifying nightmare.” She says “the act of painting and playing with different materials transports me into a mindless, peaceful focused world where I can relax, escape and create.” From prominent galleries to Art Basel in Miami to show houses in the Southeast, Crystal is now focused on being an independent artist “at least for a little while” she says. Crystal uses a combination of mixed media to create her abstract pieces: collage, acrylic, oil, pastels, 24k gold leaf, vintage magazines from the 50’s and 60’s, pharmacy ledgers in French, old sheet music from Germany, beautiful ephemera from the 1800’s. “It’s all an opportunity to me.” Crystal feels she is self taught even though she graduated with a BFA from SMU in Dallas. “I probably learned the basics in art school, but I really learned my sense of color, composition and texture from my parents. My interior designer mother loved to draw her client’s rooms, discuss the details of the furnishings she picked, my engineer father painted landscapes in oils with structures in the background in perfect perspective” Certainly a good lesson from both right and left brained people in her life. Her use of old magazines in Crystal’s work is an homage to her childhood in the 60’s and 70’s. “That era was rife with style and color, classic design was being born every day. I lived it through my parents. It was a fantastic world to absorb things for my art today.” In her personal life you’ll find Crystal stealthily moving between NYC, Atlanta, Nashville, Denver, Texas and Florida. “I have lots of people I love in a lot of places and I pick up inspiration in every city I’m in.” A new studio is in the works for Crystal with an opening that’s been moved to Spring 2023.