Art, and more specifically Christmas art, is a family thing for Clarktson resident Margaret Cobane.
‘I have always loved art. It runs in my entire family,? Cobane said. ‘I was born to be an artist. It is just what I like to do.?
Cobane has been able to take her passion and turn it into a productive business. She is having success with her art in the form of original design holiday ornaments.
Cobane, along with family member Richard Wallace and husband Russell, established the CobaneWallace Group just over a year ago. The company focuses on hand-painted and blown glass Christmas ornaments.
The company’s current catalog offers Cobane’s designs of favorite characters such as snowmen, bears and Santas, rounded out with a diverse selection of striking accent ornaments, including icicles, snowflakes, ladybugs and spirals. Colors range from the customary greens and reds of the season to fresher and spirited yet nontraditional pinks and blues.
‘I just love Christmas,? Cobane said. ‘Winter is the time of year where it starts to get gloomy, but then Christmas comes with the lights and it gets bright and cheerful. I love the happiness and the traditions of this time of year.?
Cobane’s career as a Christmas artist began while joining her husband at an art show in 1984.
‘One of the other artists asked me to paint a Santa Claus and everybody liked it. That is what start everything and it just snowballed from there,? Cobane said. ‘It just seemed like a logical use of my talents. With all the art shows we had attended, we already had a network established. This was just something that happened. It was a great opportunity but not something I was looking for.?
However, even before she gained a reputation as a premier Santa Claus painter, Cobane was a keeper of Christmas with a fondness of the season.
‘I’ve made my own personal ornaments for as long as I can remember. Sitting up on a winter’s night looking at the Christmas lights is one of my very favorite things in life,? Cobane said.
Her husband is also an artist who specializes in wildlife art.
Cobane worked for various organizations before deciding to start her own business. Her works can be found locally at Treasure Gifts and Beyond on Main Street in downtown Clarkston.
Cobane and her husband are grateful their business has been such a success.
‘For retailers Christmas is the biggest season. I read somewhere where Christmas ornaments were the second or third most sought after product on the Internet,? Cobane said.
Cobane, who has a fine arts degree and attended classes on commercial art, believes a bout with cancer helped her look at life in a different way. The artist was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1981 from which she made a full recovery.
‘After something like that you really appreciate the little things in life and you focus on what is really important,? Cobane said. ‘It makes you ask yourself why are you here. It definitely motivates you to do things differently and live for the moment.?
For the moment, Cobane is living her dream. She is doing what she loves and earning a living doing it.
‘I always wanted to do something I was proud of and I think I am doing that. I realize how many people go to art school and I also realize how many do not get jobs in the art field. To be able to do this and succeed, I consider myself lucky,? Cobane said. ‘I feel this is what I am here to do.?
In addition to luck however, hard work has helped Cobane translate her passion for art into a productive business. She works an average of 60 hours per week.
‘I have always worked very hard,? Cobane said. ‘This is just who I am. I am definitely a perfectionist.?
Future plans for the company include a wider range of gift and accessory products that Cobane in recent years has created for top-name catalog retailers such as the National Wildlife Federation and the Smithsonian Institute, as well as for independent ornament manufacturers.
‘I want to use all of my talents,? Cobane said.
For more information visit www.thecobanewallacegroup.com.