Meet Cheryl Cook, a fourth-generation Oregon native born on the beautiful Oregon Coast. Cheryl is a talented artist with a passion for creating beautiful things. She has been creating art since she was a young girl when she won an award for her work, a state-wide, hand-painted environmental poster in 7th grade.

Cheryl’s love for art has been a constant influence throughout her life. She has studied painting, sculpture, and design at the University of Oregon and Willamette University. Her mixed media education included studies in watercolor, oil painting, and photography at Portland Community College. She has also studied silk painting, weaving, jewelry fabricating techniques, and fabric design at the Oregon School of Arts and Crafts.

Cheryl’s focus shifted to jewelry making in the 1970s, and she started fashioning intricate beaded necklaces. In the 1980s, she discovered fused glass and spent several years mastering the craft. In the 1990s, Cheryl began making hand-painted and collaged greeting cards for Nordstrom at Lloyd Center and Downtown stores. In the early 2000s, she joined the Portland Bead Society. During this period, she rented a studio where she could work to meet gallery needs.

The inspiration for Cheryl’s art comes from her love of nature, instilled in her from a young age. She spent her childhood collecting stones, shells, and other treasures on the ocean shores, creeks, rivers, and beaches, which developed her love of colors and textures. Her travels to Europe and Mexico have also inspired and enhanced her appreciation of fine art. Cheryl is a friendly and approachable person who loves sharing her passion for art.

She has participated in many local art walks for over 20 years and sold her work in numerous galleries in Portland and on the Oregon coast. For many years, Cheryl offered her creations at the RiverSea Gallery and the Pacific Rim Gallery in Astoria, just up the road from her hometown of Tillamook. You also could have found her work at the Cannon Beach Gallery For Small Art.

Ask Cheryl about her latest creations – she loves to talk about her craft!

The unique pieces in this description are just a smidgen of the extraordinary body of work that Cheryl has for you at BDC this weekend.  Come and see and be inspired.