Mary Lou Cooke

The Evolution of an Artist

Projects

  • The Joy(fulness) of Sketching

    The Joy(fulness) of Sketching

    After spending the majority of 2025 being unable to put pencil to paper, I had the chance to join a group of sketchers at The Estuary in Old Saybrook for a class called “The Joy of Sketching”. I saw it as a way to reestablish a drawing habit I had lost along the way. Since…

    CONTINUE READING: The Joy(fulness) of Sketching
  • Acton Library Bookmark Contest

    Acton Library Bookmark Contest

    My local library in Old Saybrook, CT has a contest each May to design a bookmark for their summer reading program. Guess who won in 2025? The library’s idea for 2025 was gamifying reading and the slogan was “Level Up at your local library” which is a reference to video games. They also required that…

    CONTINUE READING: Acton Library Bookmark Contest
  • 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