Patti Cook

Bio Narrative

Growing up surrounded by domestic arts and crafts Patti's initial encounters began with textiles as she and her sisters hand-stitched their own Barbie and Ken doll clothing.
Her mum taught her how to use the sewing machine when she was around nine years of age on an electric and a treadle machine. This is when her love affair with textiles and thread really began. She would spend hours transfixed on the meditative motion of the needle going in and out, fascinated that the end result was a structure that could be worn or used. It became an almost meditative practice for a very busy mind.
Quilt-making became a past time when Patti reached adulthood and then she migrated into art quilts, which then became mixed media onto cloth. Mark making in any form is a primary drive in much of Patti's art work, no matter which medium she chooses to express it with.

Patti is retired from an extensive career in Engineering design in several disciplines. This field was always thought of as her "parallel" career as she always hoped to be a career artist, but was caught up in the stigma that you couldn't make a living with it. Those years have been beneficial in how Patti approaches some of her projects.

Much of Patti's fundamental art education was through night classes at a local University, a distance learning course as well as many mixed media and watercolour courses. Her more important training in watercolour was her participation in in workshops from notable watercolour artists Zoltan Szabo and Jean Dobie, both of whom were instrumental influences in her earlier watercolour pursuits.
Many other workshops throughout the years have also been instrumental in keeping Patti up to date with any latest techniques in watercolour and/or the mixed media arena. Watercolour remains her second love to textiles.

Her skills were improved by procuring commissions in the early years painting murals in residential homes and businesses. Artwork given for charity fundraisers, creating masks, sewing costumes for a small local theater, gifting and anything in between while maintaining her career.
If you can imagine the numerous types of medium and styles in the Art arena, Patti has most likely tried her hand at them, however, her first love of textiles, threads and natural fabrics and using them in an art form is a natural process for Patti.

A summer vacation in 2000 saw a huge shift in Patti's textile art direction. She participated in a "wet felting" workshop in Kingston Ontario at a fibre fair she attended. She had done some "needle felting" in previous years, but the wet felting was a whole new experience! Patti was hooked on this wonder fibre and was excited to experience what she could do with this most amazing and versatile medium artistically.
It wasn't until 10 years later, after the Corporation she worked for fell into hard times and she was given an early retirement from her Engineering design career. She decided to take a one year sabbatical to determine what direction this next phase of life she was going to take.
It was during that time that Patti immersed herself into her art practice and began growing exponentially with her textiles, wet felting and mixed media fusion!

Perusing through the few photo's on this site will show you the myriad of work that Patti has created over the years both in paint and in felt. Her art is as eclectic as her personality as she weaves through her days creating!

Patti also participates and volunteers at local galleries and business events. She has taught classes at JNAAG ( Judith Norman Alix Art Gallery - a world class Gallery in Sarnia Ontario) to both youth (TNT and RAWS) and adults as well as for Gallery in the Grove for their VALS program (Visiting Artists in Local Schools). This was a program where 3 local artists visited up to 30 schools each and taught an art class focused on balance (one of the principals for art) for Grade 6.

She sells and displays at The Lawrence House Centre for the Arts, Gallery in the Grove as well on consignment in a few local businesses such as About Face Spa and Grays Floral Market in Petrolia, Ontario.

Prior to COVID lock down, Patti was teaching in her studio full time. During that time she moved to a smaller studio space where she teaches periodically as well as teaching at other facilities.