Colleen "Cookie" Ferratier - Painting & Pastel
"It has always been a childhood dream to become an artist. Earning a degree in Business, marriage, children and work put that dream on hold until about fifteen years ago when I started taking watercolor classes. Under the direction of many local and visiting art instructors I have been encouraged, enriched and delighted by this medium in each and every class. Not only was I taught the techniques of watercolor I was inspired to create the best paintings I am capable of creating.
Pastels were introduced to me when I mistakenly thought I had signed up for a watercolor class. I watched the artists in this class work magic with these colorful little pieces of chalk and I knew I was destined to become a pastelist. So now I combine these two mediums as well as charcoal to create my paintings. My aim when painting is not to necessarily create a photograph of the subject but to interpret that subject in my own way. Therefore most of my work is a summary or abstract of the actual subject. As an artist I am always collecting visual information and I am grateful that I can express this and share it with others. The greatest reward as an artist is to see someone else enjoy my work." |