Mary Lou Cooke

The Evolution of an Artist

Every Artist Has A Story

and this one is mine…

Welcome…

Expressing my creativity through art and design gives my life meaning and structure, and it’s been a constant too, in a sea of many changes. It’s my hope that in creating this blog, by putting all of my creative projects together in one spot, that by sharing them, it will be inspirational to others… and to myself too, because I often miss the big picture as I wade through my day-to-day life.

More and more, I see creativity as a devotional practice, a life long commitment, an act of love. For me, it’s been a way to soul search and reflect.

I’ve come to see my creative works as souvenirs I’ve collected over the past 60+ years. Creating this blog site gives me the opportunity to look back, as I move forward and gather new souvenirs.

Mary Lou Cooke

Artist & Designer

Projects

In reverse chronological order, here is some creative work I’ve been inspired to make, along with the story of why I made it.

  • Old Saybrook in Charcoal

    Old Saybrook in Charcoal

    Influenced by a recent class on gesture drawing I decided to create a new series of drawings that focus on my adopted hometown of Old Saybrook, CT, using subjects that capture the energy and movement of the place. I enjoy the freedom and energy of gesture drawing especially after the last series, which was small…

    CONTINUE READING: Old Saybrook in Charcoal
  • The Language of Flowers

    The Language of Flowers

    Flowers have been used to convey meaning for centuries, and their significance has varied across cultures and time periods. In the Victorian era, flowers were often given as a way to express emotions. With this series of colored pencil drawings, I sought to express how I feel through the symbolism of flowers. It was inspired by…

    CONTINUE READING: The Language of Flowers
  • Udemy Class on Colored Pencils

    Udemy Class on Colored Pencils

    The Colored Pencil Drawing Course by Matthew Fussell really helped improve my colored pencil technique and develop confidence in color mixing. Another benefit was learning new techniques and working with several types of pencils that were new to me. The ability to re-watch over and over was very helpful. Interesting projects too!

    CONTINUE READING: Udemy Class on Colored Pencils
  • Drawing Class

    Drawing Class

    The Lyme Art Association was offering a drawing class as I was getting back into drawing, taught by Jeanne C. Potter. The classical approach to this class was a nice contrast to the drawings I did using the “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain” book. I saw it as a way to learn…

    CONTINUE READING: Drawing Class
  • Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain

    Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain

    Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards is a classic in the genre of Drawing Books. I remember it as a kid, when I goofed around with it a bit. Revisiting it over forty years later, I see the logic and wisdom in it, and it has really helped me develop…

    CONTINUE READING: Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain
  • Colored Pencil by Way of Fused Glass

    Colored Pencil by Way of Fused Glass

    I’m a fan of decorative fused glass objects for the home. So much so, that I invested in a kiln and all the related supplies. But it brought me no joy, scared me in fact, I worried, “What if it sets the garage on fire”? I’m also not someone who should be handling fragile glass…

    CONTINUE READING: Colored Pencil by Way of Fused Glass
  • My Graphic Design Golden Age

    My Graphic Design Golden Age

    Although my original interest in attending Middlesex was the class offerings in animation, I really resonated with the graphic design projects most of all. Here are a few more. Graphic Design Projects An internship at The Buttonwood Tree, a center for the arts in Middletown, CT gave me a lot of a practice in designing…

    CONTINUE READING: My Graphic Design Golden Age
  • An Adobe (Re)education Program

    An Adobe (Re)education Program

    Middlesex Community College created the Center for New Media just before I arrived on campus in 2014. Fully outfitted with new Mac computers, radio and TV studios, and some darn good teachers. I really enjoyed my time there and got my feet wet in many areas besides design. Here are some of the souvenirs I…

    CONTINUE READING: An Adobe (Re)education Program
  • Design Resurrection

    Design Resurrection

    “Can’t seem to concentrate. Can’t seem to stay focused. Almost all parts of my work life are not interesting to me. I used to be good at this, dedicated even, but now I’m finding it almost impossible to care. It’s time for a change I guess…” I wrote this just a few months before I…

    CONTINUE READING: Design Resurrection
  • Earliest Artistic Meanderings

    Earliest Artistic Meanderings

    I spent my high school years hiding out in various art rooms in an effort to avoid gym class. It wasn’t that I didn’t like exercise or even sports. It was the showers! Who wants to shower with a bunch of strangers, in public, no less. Bad idea. Artwork created during HIGH SCHOOL circa 1979…

    CONTINUE READING: Earliest Artistic Meanderings

Inspirational Quotes about Art and Artists

I don’t know about you, but I find it encouraging to read what other artists have said about what they do. Like a lot of other creative people, I grew up around people who didn’t speak highly of those in artistic fields.

  • A man who works with his hands is a laborer; a man who works with his hands and his brain is a craftsman; but a man who works with his hands and his brain and his heart is an artist. — Louis Nizer