Like a river exposing the secrets of a canyon, Carole Cooke's determination to carve her own path in the world has been a major factor in shaping her career as a fine artist. As a young girl, she spent hours on horseback exploring the creeks and valleys near her hometown of Yorba Linda , California . This freedom to roam the unspoiled countryside combined with memories of family camping trips in the Sierras imbued Cooke with an independent spirit and the abiding love of nature which became the wellspring from which she now draws inspiration for her evocative, plein air landscapes.

Cooke began her professional career in the film industry, working first as a producer and later finding her niche in the more creative role of Art Director. During this period, she also began to explore her potential as a fine artist. Fired by relentless determination and a dedication to research, Cooke studied the work of European Masters, the Early California Impressionists and the Taos Masters, internalizing their expertise as a means to finding her own artistic voice.

This commitment to achieving excellence in her own creative efforts was rewarded when her work was accepted in the Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach in 1997. Soon after, she became an Artist Member of the California Art Club and a Signature Member of the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association. Despite these achievements, Cooke became disenchanted with the growing urban sprawl in her native California , a reality that motivated her move to Pagosa Springs , Colorado in 2001.

Aware that as an artist she is often privileged to explore locations the average person will never visit, Cooke has committed herself to painting images that allow her viewers to share the excitement and joy she finds in the pristine beauty of nature. Cooke's hope is that beyond bringing lasting enjoyment, these images will also encourage her viewers to join in efforts to preserve these vanishing treasures.

Cooke is a participant in such prestigious exhibitions as the Masters of the American West at the Autry National Center in Los Angeles , CA , the Western Visions Show at the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole , WY , and the Colorado Governor's Invitational Show in Loveland , CO . She is also profiled in the May/June 2005 issue of Art of the West Magazine

AWARDS

Collector's Choice Award
Rocky Mountain Plein Air Painters Invitational, Estes Park, CO 2003 & 2004

Second Place Award
California Art Club Plein Air Painting at Mission San Juan Capistrano, CA 2000

Award of Excellence
OPA National Juried Exhibition, Scottsdale, AZ 1999

Honorable Mention
American Plains Artist Grand Miniature Exhibition 2001

EXHIBITIONS

Masters of the American West, Autry National Center, Los Angeles, CA 2005 - 2006
Western Visions, National Museum of Wildlife Art, Jackson Hole, WY 2002 - 2005
Cheyenne Frontier Days Art Show, Cheyenne, WY 2006
Colorado Governor's Show, Loveland Art Museum, Loveland CO 2005 - 2006
American Miniatures, Settler's West Gallery, Tucson, AZ 2004 -2006
California Art Club Gold Medal Juried Exhibition, Pasadena, CA 1997 through 2006
Monumental Miniatures, California Art Club Gallery, San Marino, CA 2004
Tucson Plein Air 2002, Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, AZ 2002
LPAPA Laguna Art Museum Invitaional, Laguna Beach, CA 2000 - 2003
Top & Second 100 Arts for the Parks, Jackson Hole, WY 2001
Sierra Adventures, California Art Club Gallery at The Old Mill, San Marino, CA 2001
On Location in Malibu, Frederick R Weisman Museum, Pepperdine University, CA 1999
California Art Club Exhibition, Mission San Juan Capistrano, CA 1997 through 2000
CAC Treasures of the Sierra Nevada, Museum of Natural History, LA , CA 1998
Oil Painters of America National Exhibition, Washington D.C. 1998, Scottsdale, AZ 1999
Orange County Museum of Art, Newport Beach, CA 1998

PUBLICATIONS

Nurturing Soul
Carole Cooke Featured Article
Art of the West Magazine May/June 2005

Let it Snow
Featured Artist
Southwest Art Magazine 2003

For the Love of the Land
Featured Artist
Art of the West Magazine July/August 2002

Artist to Watch
Southwest Art Magazine April 2000

Treasures of the Sierras Nevada
California Art Club Exhibition Catalog

On Location in Malibu
Frederick R Weisman Museum , Pepperdine University , CA
California Art Club Exhibition Catalog

California Art Club Gold Medal Exhibition
Pasadena Historical Museum, Pasadena CA
California Art Club Exhibition Catalogs 1997 - 2006