ArtistsNetwork.com 55Cole always reached to find the character of a person but
realized that what he offered was his personal interpreta-
tion. He told me of a young woman who’d commissioned
him to paint her deceased father from a photo. Even
though he changed the painting time after time to meet
her requirements, she remained dissatisfied. Finally realiz-
ing the problem, Columbus admitted to her, “I can’t paint
what is in your heart.”FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT KNOX’S
PAINTINGS, GO TO CPKNOX.COM.A Lasting Influence
I soon realized that the MSHA wasn’t
a good fit for me and transferred to
another position. My contact with
Cole, however, affected my art and
strengthened my writing career.
Through him, I understood that my
daily office assignments would never
by themselves enable me to reach
the level of excellence I felt inside.
I could see that Cole’s abilities were
unmistakable in the paintings he
flung up on the walls of his office,
but the art he did at the MSHA was
on another plane—fine work, but
not indicative of his deeper gifts.
This realization led me to work
harder than ever on my personal
projects. I took writing classes.
I found mentors and editors. Like
Cole, I began an extensive freelance
career. Years later, I met him at an
art exhibition and mentioned to him
that I’d recently published a freelance
article in Reader’s Digest. I enjoyed
the friendly sarcasm of his reply:
“But you can’t write!”
The last time I saw the artist was
at the 1999 Rittenhouse Square show
in Philadelphia, during which he
complained about knee pain. Later,
I learned he’d died on June 8, a few
days after our visit. For years I could
learn nothing more about him. Then,
six months ago, when I searched for
his name online, I retrieved a flood
of information, including the fact
that his portrait Engagement had
sold for $55,000 at auction. I felt
saddened that he was lost to me as
a friend and that he had not lived
to enjoy the recent recognition
of his talents. Yet his influence
is still alive in me. As I recall my
accomplishments in writing, paint-
ing, drawing and sculpture, I sense
thatColeisinmyvicinity,clapping.Carol Lee Morgan is both an artist and
a freelance writer whose articles have
appeared in a variety of publications.OPPOSITE
Jubilation
acrylic on canvas,
62x44
BELOW
Engagement
acrylic on linen,
47¹⁄₁₆x27⅛