But her parents and teachers had other ideas.
From elementary and middle school art teacher Laurette Roales, to high school instructors Andi Bartels and Lance Miller, Cox found consistent encouragement. Her teachers submitted her work to competitions, and the results were affirming. One piece,“ A Song So Beautiful,” toured galleries for four years and won awards.
“ Seeing my art in a gallery,” she said,“ made me see myself as an artist.” The reactions— from judges, from strangers— helped quiet the voice in her head that constantly compared her work to the artists she admired most.
Her parents, Jennifer and Benjamin Cox, were her earliest and most passionate advocates. Both painters themselves, though not professional artists, they nurtured her creativity. She said her father once worried that his daughter’ s skill and success in advanced math classes might distract her from art. Her mother, Cox says,“ would support anything I wanted to do.”
Today, Cox balances painting with a part-time job as assistant lifeguard manager at Abe Martin Lodge. The job is less stressful than full-time work, giving her space to create.
Her commissions often come from former classmates, friends, and community members. One of her first paid commissions came from an unexpected supporter: her high school student resource officer, an art lover who had visited galleries around the world. That vote of confidence still matters.
Cox’ s work is whimsical and magical, often romantic and rooted in fantasy. Recently, her values have begun to shape not just what she paints, but how. Concerned about the environmental impact of plasticbased acrylic paints, she has shifted toward natural-earth pigments and is exploring oil painting. Sustainability matters to Cox, as does living in a place surrounded by nature.
“ I love the trees. The foliage. The community,” she said.“ I feel very privileged to be part of this beautiful place.”
Yet for all Brown County offers young artists, Cox sees a gap that opened sharply after high school. While student contests and local galleries helped build her confidence early on,“ after high
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