Andrea Cook | Sharing the Inner Light
Artist Andrea Cook creates art that resonates on many levels. As a
multimedia artist, she specializes in textiles with mixed media elements,
ceramic, sculpture, and painting. She plays with texture, pattern and
repetition to create unity in each unique piece. Andrea employs her
imagination and inner light to create a connection with her viewer.
Born and raised in Dallas, TX, Andrea discovered her artistic desires early
on and received a lot of encouragement to follow her dreams. “My first
childhood classes were drawing, watercolor, and ceramics. I continued art
through high school, where I enjoyed metals, ceramics, and printmaking.
The high school that I attended had many art options, and I have always
loved exploring new media.”
“My desire was to make one-
went on to attend UT El Paso, where I fell in love with sculpture. I received
a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Sculpture and Painting.”
After college, Andrea continued to explore different artistic endeavors. “I
was working on large scale, soft sculpture installation,” she explains. “It
was at this same time that I started the ‘Garden of Roses’ as a large, soft
sculpture, temporary installation.”
The ‘Garden of Roses’ project is made of hand dyed, painted, or pure
fabrics made from canvas, burlap, cotton, and muslin. The fabric is ripped
into strips and dipped into an archival quality glue. Then, she forms the
fabric into rose designs varying in color, shape, and size. Andrea would
then mount them on canvas or panel.
“I love for my art to be beautiful, colorful, and textural working with pattern
and repetition to create unity,” says Andrea of her creative process. “I like
for my work to create an illusion and for it to connect to the viewer. I try to
bring out my own imagination and inner light in each piece. I always have
an idea of how I want an art piece to go, but I try to let the work happen
Naturally.”
She continues to work with a variety of techniques. Exploration, risk taking,
change, and growth have all contributed to the techniques that she uses in
her work today. “Sharing my inner light, passion, and imagination is my way
of making important connections.”