Visual Art – Nashville
Kyle Coffman spent his childhood in the pastoral southern tip of Illinois. He grew up as the middle child of a very close family with a strong spiritual foundation. Endless hours playing outdoors in the rural area gave him the eye to discover the details in the world around him. He loved to create as all children do, but as his friends lost interest, he became even more intrigued. During high school, he was faced with a series of setbacks concerning not having a quality art teacher. This forced him to teach himself and to seek help from other artists. He attended Southern Illinois University where he obtained a BFA in Painting. His family was supportive of his pursuit of an education in art, and they encouraged him to go further. Coffman then pursued a BFA in Art Education from SIU. He has since taught in both private and public schools, in every grade from k-12. In 2012, he moved to the Nashville Metropolitan area with his wife and children, where he has continued to grow as an artist while teaching art and exploring the world around him in various media.
His work has continued to evolve over the past several years. He has always been entranced by the minute details in the things that surround him, but recently has been more focused on the still-life genre, namely food. He not only sees food as something that everyone needs, but also as a sublime experience that can that be an aesthetic enhancement to one’s life. He is influenced by both the Impressionists’ handling of still-life and the work of Wayne Thiebaud. Each of his works are created from observation, photographic reference, and imagination. He incorporates flowing brush strokes and bold color to define his subjects with organic shapes and realistic details. The expressive realism of his works gives viewers a sense of wonder as they behold everyday subject matter as if they are seeing it for the first time.