Cody

According to Cody, most artists will tell you that their favorite work is their next project. That’s how he feels, for the most part. 

“I do have a large painting of a sparrow that I really love,” he says. “That one holds a place in my heart because of the meaning behind it: it was a reflection on building this place.” He sits surrounded by easels in his studio, Loveland’s Sparrow Art Center.

Growing up, Cody always loved art. But it took a while for him to consider it a potential career.

“I thought about it, but I also kind of grew up in a family where art was a hobby, not a profession. So that took some convincing.”

Convincingly accomplished, he studied illustration at Pacific Northwest College of Art. After moving back to Arizona—where he grew up—to be closer to family, he finished his degree at the University of Arizona. He and his wife moved to Colorado in 2017.

The Southwest was and is Cody’s home. Its culture and landscapes often guide his brushstrokes.

“Even when I was doing fantasy art, I liked painting the horses. That was my favorite part.”

After moving to the Centennial State, Cody began teaching at the Schissler Academy of Fine Art in Loveland.. About six years later, the owner retired. And the school closed.

“When it shut down and it was just gone, my initial reaction was that of the rug being pulled out from underneath me. That was my plan for my future and career. But with some reflection, I thought: it was more of the way I was perceiving it. Instead of the rug being pulled out from underneath me, I decided to look at it as more like being pushed out of the nest. So that was where the sparrow came from.”

He turned his third garage bay into an art studio, where he continues to teach students of all ages and walks of life. He enjoys helping fellow artists find their style by learning to paint like themselves. He wants to expand his art center by purchasing a building and partnering with other businesses, such as a print shop, art supply store, and gallery.

“My idea is anyone who is an artist or thinking about art could come to Sparrow Art Center and find something,” he muses. “Maybe they go to the coffee shop that will be there, and they see on the bulletin board that there’s figure drawing classes or there’s a group that goes out and does plein air painting on Wednesdays, or they see that there’s a gallery show coming up that maybe they want to submit to.”

“Maybe it’s too lofty, but I think about elevating Loveland as an art community as a whole. My whole philosophy is that the rising tide lifts all boats, so I think my success can be other people’s success.”