Meet Andrea Cook: Artist – Fiber Art Sculpture

We had the good fortune of connecting with Andrea Cook and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Andrea, what is the most important factor behind your success?
I think that the most important factor behind my success is originality. My art is unique. It compliments other artwork in galleries and doesn’t compete. My sculptural rose wall pieces make a bold, beautiful statement on their own, or they are perfect accent pieces. Recently, I have expanded my fine art “Garden of Roses” collection into a fine art gift business called “Rose Memories Designs.” I love creating beautiful, one-of-a-kind gifts for weddings or any special occasion. I make rose picture frames, albums, wine gift boxes, keepsake boxes, and much more! I also offer custom rose creations to make your special memories perfect! You can view my fine art “Garden of Roses” at: The Art Department – 7850 E. Evans Rd. Suite 106 Scottsdale, AZ www.theartdeptaz.com The English Rose Tea Room – 201 Easy Street Carefree, AZ www.carefreetea.com UGallery – www.ugallery.com Sonoran Arts League – Hidden in the Hills – Bela Fidel Fine Art – Nov. 20,21,22 and 27, 28,29, 2020 www.sonoranartsleague.org Instagram – www.instagram.com/andreaclay0509 You can view my fine art gifts “Rose Memories Designs” at: Amazon Handmade – www.amazon.com/handmade/Rose-Memories-Designs Etsy – www.etsy.com/shop/Rose-Memories-Designs Arizona Wedding Show – www.arizonaweddingshow.com – gifts – Rose Memories Designs Instagram – www.instagram.com/rosememoriesdesigns

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
The originality of my art style helps set me apart from other artists. I am most proud of a large scale piece that I completed last year for Vision Gallery in Chandler, AZ. The piece was called “Wild Desert Roses” and was made of 24 individual pieces and 3, 509 actual roses. The bold colors were inspired by the vibrant flora of the Sonoran Desert. The piece was on exhibit with Vision Gallery from May-August, 2019. Now, “Wild Desert Roses” is represented with UGallery online. Right now, I am most excited about my new fine art gift collection, “Rose Memories Designs,” selling on Amazon Handmade. I have gotten to where I am today with a lot of hard work, perseverance, and a willingness to grow and try new things. There is always something new to learn. Challenges always come up. It is important to work through the challenges and stay focused. It is also helpful to keep an open mind and adapt to new opportunities. Roses have always been my favorite flower. I wanted to capture their beauty and create a permanent way to enjoy them. I love for my art to be beautiful, colorful, and textural working with pattern and repetition to create unity.

Any great local spots you’d like to shoutout?
If my best friend were visiting, first I would take her to The English Rose Tea Room in Carefree, AZ for a wonderful lunch and a fabulous cup of tea! Next, we would probably explore Cave Creek. There are lots of local shops and great art to look at. We would stop by Cave Creek Olive Oil for some yummy oil and vinegar combinations. We would also stop by Stagecoach Village to see the pop-up art show at the Sonoran Arts League’s Center for the Arts and check out the local shops there too. We might finish up early at Indigo Crow for happy hour cocktails and appetizers. I would also take her to Old Town Scottsdale. Culinary Dropout is a must! They have an eclectic mix of wonderful food. Everything that I have tried there has been amazing! Next, we would walk down gallery row in Old Town Scottsdale. There are lots of great art galleries to visit! Xanadu Gallery is one of my favorite contemporary galleries. I would also visit The Butterfly Museum, The Aquarium, Top Golf, and Talking Stick Resort, just for fun! One of the best Mexican food restaurants in the valley is El Encanta. They have the best cheese enchiladas and Cadillac Margaritas! They have three locations to choose from. To finish the week up, I would visit the Desert Botanical Gardens. I would also take her to Taliesin West to see Frank Lloyd Wright’s desert home. Depending on the time of year, fun seasonal sporting events that I enjoy are the Waste Management Phoenix Open Golf Tournament, a Cardinal football game, or a Diamondbacks game.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First, I would like to shoutout to Jo Gemmill at The English Rose Tea Room. Currently, she has over 50 of my beautiful rose pieces on her lovely wall. I have been showing my “Garden of Roses” there since August of 2018. It has been the perfect fit for my art! Lots of my roses have found happy new homes. Thank you Jo and the staff of the English Rose Tea Room! Next, I would like to shoutout to The Art Department. I have been showing there since October of 2018. John and Terry are great to work with. They do an excellent job framing and my art has been exposed to interior designers in the area. They do several promotional events and I was honored to join their group show last year. “4-D Elements” featuring Terry Amerine, Corinne McAuley, and Susan Gillette. Finally, I would like to shoutout to the Sonoran Art League. I have been a member since January, 2018. They offer several shows, events, and opportunities throughout the year. I enjoy being a part of their signature event, Hidden in the Hills. This will be my third year for Hidden in the Hills. I will be at Bela Fidel’s Fine Art Studio with Bela Fidel, Nancy Christy-Moore, Ezra Glassart, Shelly Taylor, and Sherri Congrove. Most of all, I have enjoyed meeting and working with other fabulous artists!