Inside Lucy Cookson’s Hidden Amagansett Studio as She Prepares for Her Fifth Hamptons Fine Art Fair

Lucy Cookson with one of her floral artworks in Amagansett. Photo by Angela LaGreca

The acclaimed East End watercolor artist welcomes Spark Hamptons inside her historic Devon Colony studio as she puts the finishing touches on a vibrant new collection for the Hamptons Fine Art Fair in Southampton.

A Hidden World of Color

Tucked away in the historic enclave of Devon Colony in Amagansett, Lucy Cookson is painting against the art clock.

Inside the light-filled studio she affectionately calls “the Little Thai House,” watercolor paintings cover the walls, lean against furniture, rest on the floor and spill onto the deck outside. Flowers bloom in vivid color. Birds, bees and dragonflies dance across the paper.

In just a few days, many of these joyful works will make their way to the Hamptons Fine Art Fair in Southampton, where Cookson will exhibit with Martinez Art Gallery at Booth #332.

“I’m behind schedule,” she says with a shy smile as she applies a bold, red swirl to paper. “Why don’t you take a walk to the beach?”

Lucy Cookson in her art studio in Amagansett. Photo by Angela LaGreca

Lucy Cookson in her art studio in Amagansett. Photo by Angela LaGreca

Lucy Cookson in her art studio in Amagansett. Photo by Angela LaGreca

She means it in the best way.

The setting is every bit as magical as the paintings she creates there, and she wants visitors to experience the landscape that inspires her every day.

An Artist’s Sanctuary

Designed by the late acclaimed architect Francis Fleetwood, the shingle-style studio is alive with creativity. Every corner holds paintings in various stages of completion, offering visitors a rare glimpse into an artist’s creative process.

It’s unmistakably a working studio, but it also reflects Cookson herself. Warm, witty and quietly mischievous, she radiates the same joy and optimism found throughout her artwork.

Finding Beauty in Nature

Cookson’s paintings are vibrant, expressive and unmistakably her own. While she is best known for her colorful, lush florals, she also creates captivating watercolor studies of birds, insects and other details from the natural world.

“I love to paint bees and bugs,” she says.

In her hands, dragonflies, butterflies and even insects become colorful works of art. She is equally accomplished painting horses, portraits, figures and abstract compositions, each filled with movement, light and bold color that invites viewers to linger.

Mastering Watercolor

Watercolor is widely considered one of the most demanding painting mediums, yet Cookson approaches it with remarkable confidence and fluidity.

“I really believe in water,” she says. “You can’t do anything in watercolor if you don’t use it—but don’t abuse it either. You let the water run and keep a little control.”

That balance between spontaneity and discipline has become one of the defining characteristics of her style, She says she is always trying to “learn something new.”

A Growing Following

Collectors and curators have increasingly taken notice of Cookson’s work.

At the 2025 Atlanta Art Fair, The Observer recognized her exhibition among the fair’s standout booths. Earlier this year, her original works attracted collectors at the Martinez Gallery booth during the Palm Beach art season.

This summer marks Cookson’s fifth appearance at the Hamptons Fine Art Fair, one of the East End’s premier showcases of contemporary and modern art.

“The Hamptons Fine Art Fair is a wonderful venue,” Cookson says. “If you’re going to go on that first day, Thursday night is the time. Everybody is proud of what they’ve created and wants to show it. You meet interesting people. It’s always different. It’s never the same.”

Deep Hamptons Roots

Cookson’s connection to the East End stretches back generations.

Her great-grandfather, Joseph Rawson Jr., was one of four businessmen who purchased approximately 1,000 acres overlooking Gardiners Bay in the early 1900s, helping establish the exclusive Devon Colony and founding the Devon Yacht Club in 1908.

Today, Cookson continues creating from the family’s historic property. The grand main house is filled with her artwork and an impressive personal art collection, while larger pieces are created and stored in a nearby studio garage tucked discreetly within the private community.

Despite those historic roots, Cookson remains refreshingly humble and approachable. Now 82 (and the first to declare it, though her face belies her age by decades), she speaks with youthful enthusiasm about painting and color.

“I like to work on a grand scale with a big idea that intuitively develops naturally,” she says. “My greatest asset in painting is that I’m really a colorist, and I love playing with color.”

Inspired by Nature

As she prepares for the fair, Cookson eagerly talks about her gardens and the wildlife surrounding her studio.

She’s especially delighted that the piping plovers have returned.

“Now that I’ve got my birds back, you get to see them doing their thing,” she says. “I am painting a large tree just filled with birds.”

Nature remains her greatest muse.

Always Looking Ahead

Cookson has worked with art consultant/curator MAGO of Martinez Art Gallery for years, exhibiting at art fairs across the country and steadily building a loyal following of collectors.

“I’ve been selling a lot—it’s amazing to me,” she says. “Every day surprises you when you paint. Sometimes things don’t work, and I say, ‘OK, maybe tomorrow.’ But I live for a deadline because I’m doing so many art fairs. It’s amazing what you can accomplish.”

IF YOU GO

Lucy Cookson at the Hamptons Fine Art Fair
July 9–12
Martinez Art Gallery, Booth #332
Southampton

lucycookson.com @hamptonscurated

Angela LaGreca

Editor, Co-Founder/Publisher

Angela LaGreca, Editor-in-chief and co-Founder/Publisher of Spark Hamptons, is a four-time Emmy Award-winning journalist, producer, writer and comedian/host. Her TV credits include NBC’s “Today,” ABC’s “The View,” and, most recently, the primetime cable news program “Cuomo” on NewsNation. On the East End, she was the Creative Director at LTV, VP Features/Events/Photo Editor at Dan’s Papers, and has performed at Guild Hall, Bay Street Theater and the WHBPAC. Her publishing career began at Modern Photography, where she was managing editor. LaGreca lives in Manhattan and East Hampton and can be reached at angelatvmedia@gmail.com and angela@sparkhamptons.com .