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PrintJuly TulsaPeople Q&A: Sculptor Rosalind Cook
You do a lot of religious figures. You must have a strong faith.
I had a born-again experience when I was in my 20s. I felt for the first time that God was not some distant being. That he cared if I was sad or hurting and could help me raise my family. I found a personal relationship. I describe God as my GPS — my guidance and my security. If I get off course, He doesn’t shake a finger at me but lovingly guides me back. In my career, too. All of my joy is because of him.
And you now have a foundation?
Yes. It is 5 years old. The grants are to provide art supplies to teachers at public schools. Those poor teachers have a budget of something like $200 for more than 100 kids for the entire year! They buy materials with their own money. (Teachers can apply online through the Tulsa Arts & Humanities Council.)
Why do you have a floor-to-ceiling mirror in your sculpture studio just like a dance studio has?
I use my mirror all the time. When I look at a piece directly, I see it one way, and then I look at it in a mirror and say, “Whoa! That’s something new. Or “Whoa! That’s boring.” I always work to juxtapose planes, alternating resting places with busy places in a piece. (She turns a pedestal, looking at the piece in the mirror.) It’s that transition of forms that gives motion to a piece. The mirror helps me with this. See how you can change the mood of a piece with just the tilt of a chin? (She demonstrates by lifting the head of a clay figure. She studies it in the mirror, then makes other adjustments.) Or by moving a shoulder slightly. (Another change.) Or the arms. Suddenly, you have spiral motion in the figure.
You must do a lot of research for your pieces.
You have to do the research for accuracy. This “Pueblo Basket Dancer” is wearing white leather-wrapped moccasins, her Zuni jewelry and a blanket over her shoulders. The dance itself is a kind of pigeon-toed stomp dance.
You seem to do more female sculptures than male.
I’m drawn more to the feminine side of life. But I also do male figures — Christ, a golfer, boys, Carlus Linnaeus.
Male figures are more challenging for me. But we’re supposed to grow, aren’t we? (Comparing male and female sculptures, she gave me a short tutorial on the differences.) See how male figures are more angular — the angles of the elbows and knees. But the females are all S-curves. See the flowing motion on these little girls, on this Madonna? But look at this — all the lines, the angles, the V-shapes, the curves — how they all direct the eye back to the focus point. The composition is the key to success. Otherwise a piece will just sit there and won’t draw people in.
You love to teach, you love to sculpt. You seem to do things with love.
I turned down a commission of a well-dressed woman for a shopping center because it wasn’t a subject I could feel passionate about. I have to be hooked emotionally to a piece. Part of my mission in life is to use the talent I’ve been given to benefit others and still make a living.
Where do you teach?
Currently at Philbrook.
What is your work schedule?
I start my day with a walk, then exercise class and devotional time. I’m in the studio by 10. Five days a week. At 5 p.m. I meet my husband, Hal, for a glass of wine. It’s a ritual. We made this time together — 30 minutes every day — when we were raising our three children.
Tell me about your husband.
We’ve been married 40 years. Hal is retired from Kaiser Francis Oil. He went to OU and I went to The University of Texas, so OU-Texas weekends are really interesting at our house. We met on a blind date in Dallas after college. We’re total opposites —I’m impulsive and emotional. He is steady. He does the welding for my large pieces.
You have three children, you have grandchildren — and, of course, your dog, Aspen.
She’s a golden doodle, 3 years old.
Who are the teachers you chose to study with?
I sought out the best: Glenna Goodacre and the Scottsdale Artists School.
Do you draw your pieces before you sculpt them?
I start with a sketch, but I never end up with my preconceived idea. That’s one of the most exciting things about sculpting. I tell my students, “Start with an idea, but let surprises happen.” I tell my students to explore your options. When I work on a piece, I always ask myself, “How can I make this piece stronger?”
My sculpture is an extension of who I am. My experiences, my personality and my faith are all expressed through my work. Oh, it’s been such an exciting life.
