Grounded in the discipline and craft of painting, Cousins pursued a lifelong investigation into how colour harmonies and tonal structures could evoke emotional and sensory responses. Her synesthetic perception informed both her artistic practice and her teaching, allowing her to articulate complex aesthetic ideas with unusual clarity and sensitivity. 

Over nearly four decades, her work evolved through sustained experimentation and refinement, resulting in a cohesive and highly individual body of paintings distinguished by their formal elegance, chromatic subtlety and meditative presence. As an educator, she inspired generations of students to approach art as both a disciplined practice and a field of imaginative discovery, leaving a legacy that continues to resonate beyond her lifetime.