When visiting a John Singer Sargent exhibition at the age of nine, I was in awe of the artist's talent and hoped to stroke the canvas with similar conviction one day. I had no idea then that I would now be painting portraits.The challenge of capturing the essence of a person, especially the innocence of children is rewarding. Portrait painting is an enriching experience and a way of getting to know clients and subjects in a unique way. I work exclusively in oil on canvas.

Although based in the Philadelphia area, I accept commissions anywhere in the United States and Canada. These portraits are in many private homes and corporate collections. After being accepted at Cambridge College of Art,

I opted to study at Stevenage College, which offered a more commercial art application, graduating in 1976. I worked as an art director and illustrator in London, England and Toronto, Canada until 1990. 

Published in many areas of the media at that time, my passion for rendering people became clear. I apprenticed for a short time with renowned portrait painter Nishan Yardumian of Philadelphia.

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In 1990 I began a new career in portraiture. My most significant area of renewal has been the Cape Cod School of Art, with its advanced portrait training with one of America's top portrait painters, Cedric B. Egeli of Annapolis. As a result my portraits follow the impressionist school of portrait painting.

 

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“Life member of the Portrait Institute (Founder: John Howard Sanden) Member of The Portrait Society of America. Richard James Cook, American portrait artist and official, family or children painter by commission in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Washington DC, Delaware, Massachusetts and Connecticut. Richard James Cook painter and artist paints prominent and famous people both in America and Canada. While official portrait painting contributes to becoming respected in his field, Cook as a portrait artist and painter equally enjoys family portrait commissions and children portrait commissions. Cook’s museum quality fine art commissioned portraiture at its essence is said to capture the subject’s inner spirit. Cook is regarded a realist, he is an artist and painter with impressionist influence.
      American portrait artist and painter Richard James Cook has commissions of president portraits, C. E. O. portraits, lawyer portraits, college dean portraits, bishop portraits, military portraits.
      As a Member of The Portrait Society of America and The Portrait Institute, Cook is considered a portrait artist and painter of renown. Clients liken his light and color oil portraits to John Singer Sargent, a master artist and painter with a stroke of genius. Whether a luxury portrait painting is for prestige or for posterity, child or president, Cook’s commitment to uncompromising quality is evident in his art. Often pets and animals will appear in Cook’s portrait paintings.
      Before Cook became an American portrait artist he spent a short time as a wildlife painter. Cook’s art career began with being accepted at Cambridge College of Art in 1973 but he opted for a college with a more commercial art application. He graduated in 1976. Cook is known as an artist and portrait painter in Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts and Canada. He has been a painter and professional portrait artist for over 20 years and has been represented as a portrait artist by brokers and galleries specializing in portrait artists in both Boston Massachusetts and Toronto Canada.


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