Robert (Bob) Cohen, Artist

Bob is a lifelong Mainer and artist whose watercolor and oil paintings have connected people to the places they love for over 50 years. A graduate of the Maine College of Art (MECA), Bob’s journey began with a John Nagy drawing set when he was 7, supported by a creative family and inspiring teachers. What began as a childhood passion became a lifelong career, including decades of painting, exhibiting, and operating his own galleries.

Bob works primarily in watercolor and oil, embracing an Americana-whimsical style that’s both expressive and personal. He’s known for capturing the emotion of familiar places—coastal scenes, lighthouses, Old Orchard Beach, and Italian villages—with a technique that blends precision and playfulness. He believes in using the best materials available and finds that switching between mediums keeps his work fresh and exciting.

After years in Portland’s Old Port, Bob now works part-time from his studio gallery on Congress Street (right next to the State Theater), where visitors can often see paintings in progress and talk with the artist himself. ​

​ At the heart of Bob’s practice is a simple philosophy:​
“I don’t have to be the best painter—just the best I can be. I feel lucky every day that I get to do what I love.”​

Jen is Bob’s daughter and the Gallery Director, combining a lifelong connection to his work with over 20 years of experience in branding and marketing. Her journey as a painter began in 2006 during a formative trip to Lake Como, where Bob studied with American impressionist Jerry Fresia. That experience planted the seed for her own creative path.