John Cogan Author & Illustrator

Connie Gotsch has published two award-winning adult novels, A Mouth Full of Shell and Snap Me a Future. A Mouth Full of Shell won the First Place Award for full-length fiction from the New Mexico Press Women's Communication Contest. She also wrote three short plays, A Peck of Dirt, Or Are You Cinderella--? and New Delight. In 2007 she received the New Mexico Press Women's Communicator of Achievement Award.She held an Ed.D in Leadership and Policy Studies with an emphasis on educational media from Northern Illinois University. Connie worked at KSJE, Public Radio for the Four Corners serving as Program Director, host of the award-winning morning classical music show, "Roving with the Arts", or producer of a segment for authors called "Write On Four Corners." In 2008, she received a Book in Hand Award from the New Mexico Book Association for her work in promoting New Mexico authors and publishers on the program. Connie p John Cogan did not became a painter by the usual approach. After earning a Ph.D. in atomic physics, John spent two years working in the field of geophysics before he made a detour and became a full-time painter. John relies on the physics of light and optics to better understand how to render the created world in pigments. His knowledge of geophysics is reflected in his love of painting the great rock formations and massive mountains of the western United States.While he occasionally uses oil paints when working “en plein air”, John prefers acrylics both for his studio paintings and most of his plein air work. It also gives him the bright colors he loves to use in his landscapes. As for subject matter, the Four Corners area is perfect. He uses a combination of field sketches and photographs for his studio works, but paints many of his smaller paintings on location. Although primarily interested in landscapes, he has painted other subjects, includi