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Westwood Home Town Weekly (Cover story).

September 26th 2002
STRENGTH OF HEART FROM ANGELS OF LIGHT
BY LAUREN PERKINS

"People deal with grief differently," explains Westwood portrait artist Richard Cook, who lost a four-year old daughter eleven years ago. "I wanted to follow her, but I couldn't do that." Instead, Cook grieved the loss of his first of four children and only daughter with a series of seventeen spiritual paintings that are now known as "Angel of Light" named after the first painting in the series.

Unlike his other portraiture, these works were done freehand, without models or photographs, "The whole time I was painting I wasn't planning or thinking of what was coming out on the canvas, or what was next, It was a very powerful experience that I had never imagined" He described this experience as "surreal". saying' "at times it didn't seem as though I was painting. It was just happening right in front of me." In order to convey the meaning of the works, he began writing poetry. This was another shock for Cook, who had never thought of himself as a writer.

Cook and his wife Debbie participated in a conference at which there were over 700 attendees, most of whom were grieving the loss of a loved one. At the end of their presentation Cook was approached by one of the attendees, a publisher's family member who gave a tape of the presentation to publisher Karin Childs, who suggested putting the works they presented into a book, which they later did.

"I think the reason we wanted to share the book was the many spiritual connections that we and the rest of our family experienced, such as a strong feeling that Laura was near us," noted Deb.

"I thought that there were a lot of people out there who were going through the same thing I was," explained Richard. "It's really important to know that there is a strength that can come from within."

The critics agree with Cook's gut instinct to publish the works. Leon Rhodes, author of Tunnel To Eternity and Officer of IANDS (International Association for Near Death Studies) says of the work: "Life's most Dreadful experience transformed into unforgettable comfort and beauty." Angel of Light can be ordered from Barnes and Noble or Borders store websites. The book can also be ordered directly from the publisher, Fountain Publishing P.O. Box 80011, Rochester MI 48308. To get signed copies, Contact Cook via email

Westwood Press. (Our Town) May 17th, 2001

Angel of Light provides a spiritual journey
By Alanna J. Keating
STAFF WRITER

Out of grief rose a great personal accomplishment for Thatcher Street resident Richard James Cook, a personal and meaningful book titled "Angel of light" The book features painting and poetry Cook created to help him deal with the emotions he experienced after his first daughter, Laura, died in 1985 from a rare heart disease.

Laura was diagnosed with Endo-cardiofibroelastosis three months after she was born, when the Cooks were living in Canada.

Although Laura had received a heart transplant, she died before her fifth birthday.

"I felt there had to be some continuance," said Cook "I dealt with the loss by painting this." Cook, who paints portraits professionally, painted a series of paintings about Laura over a 10-year period. Sixteen of these paintings are featured in his book. The centerpiece of the series is a painting he calls "Angel of Light," the first painting he did after Laura's death. It portrays her moving onto a peaceful world after her death. In the center of the painting, Laura is looking back at her life, yet moving on with a slight hesitation. Towards the back of the painting.

Laura is portrayed as being content in her afterlife, spending time as many little girls would like to picking flowers at the edge of a pond.

"It's the first and most powerful of the paintings;" said Cook, adding that it was one of his favorites. Cook refers to his painting process as a journey and said although his work is personal , it soon began to touch other people.

"I began making connections outside of myself,' said Cook." I felt like I was being led."

Cook exhibited some of his paintings of Laura at a "Little Angels" convention in Bryn Athyn, Pa. There he was approached by many people who were touched by his experience and thanked him for sharing such personal works. He was also approached by a woman who also experienced the loss of a child and commissioned Cook to paint her granddaughter, Annica, who died as a result of a tragic car accident.

Cook said he was given photo's of Annica's writings to help him create the image. Annica's mother is a book publisher and it was this connection that led to the creation of his book "It's not just about Laura," said Richard's wife and Laura's mother, Debbie Cook. "People work together and support each other. Support comes from many different ways." While painting his images of Laura, many of which are done in ethereal colors like lavender, soft yellow and blue, Cook wrote accompanying poetry.

At one moment, he found himself working a chapter about Laura and realized it was 1O years to the same day, the same hour, the same moment when she had passed. "This was one of the signs, that let me know I was doing the right thing," said Cook.

"Angel of Light" also features painting of the Cook's son Ryan , in a piece called "Shiloh" and a visual interpretation of the 23rd Psalm, "The Lord is My Shepherd." Cook also painted Laura as an older girl in a painting he calls"The Eternal Dance."

In his book, he explains this painting was inspired by Debbie, his wife, who was interested see where Laura might be a few years after she had past,

"It's how you're lead by your imagination where you end up," said Cook.

"I feel like I'm a tool in creating the book, a tool in making the connection." Cook, who now enjoys a successful career as a portrait artist, painting for families and executives alike, was always artistic.

Originally from England, Cook worked as an illustrator and an art director in Canada.

"I didn't find commercial art rewarding," said Cook "I wanted to do something that I felt in control of and to have an end product, not like an ad that's here today and gone tomorrow."

Now Cook works form a studio space in his Thatcher Street home he shares with this wife and three sons.

Westwood Press. November 30th, 1995

Portrait of a painter
Artist moves to Westwood,
donates talents to PTO auction
By DEXTER VAN ZILE

If any residents are committed to having their portrait painted for posterity, they might want to contact Richard Cook, the town's most recent addition to its artistic community. Their commitment to posterity, however, better be pretty strong as their posteriors will end up footing the bill as much as their wallets.

"it usually takes three sittings lasting two hours each to paint a portrait," Cook said.

Cook, who lives on Thatcher Street with his wife, Deborah, and three sons, says sittings are an important part of his work.

"During the first sitting I'll talk with the person to find out what their expectations are. I'll talk with them to find out what type of pose is appropriate for them," Cook said. "Then I'll talk to people who know the subject to get a good feeling of their personality. The second sitting is usually a photo session where I take 50 to 80 shots so that I can accurately paint them. The third session I might do a painting to really nail the coloring. Cook started working as a commercial artist in his native England after graduating from Stevenage College in 1976. He was accepted to Cambridge, but opted to attend Stevenage because it placed greater emphasis on commercial art. "I have some regrets, but I think the business approach has been more useful than the outlook of say, a flighty artist" Cook said.

Cook added he was interested in producing fine art, "But the question was, where could you go with it?" After two years as an art director in England, Cook moved to Philadelphia where he apprenticed with Nishan Yardumian, a renowned portrait painter in Philidelphia. Cook then went back to England for a couple of years before moving to Toronto in 1983 where he again worked as an art director. He began devoting all his time to freelance painting in 1988.

While Cook is reluctant to reveal how much he charges for a portrait, he does state that his subjects are usually successful business people or high ranking government officials who can afford to commission a painting. "I moved to Boston because it's a prime location for CEOs, college deans and politicians -- some of the more affluent people," Cook said. The subjects Cook painted while in Canada suggest he'll have no problem attracting an affluent clientele. Cook's subjects have included: Allan R. Taylor, Chairman and CEO of the Royal Bank of Canada; Keith Morely, President of CosCan (a large Canadian Corporation); and Ronald A. Smith, vice president of MacLean Hunter, Business Publications. The famous and the affluent are not Cook's only subjects, however. A large portion of his portfolio is made up of paintings of his friends and family. Cook has three sons: Joshua, 2; Daniel, 4; and Ryan, 8. Ryan attends the William E. Sheehan Elementary School. Presently Cook is working on a portrait of his 4 year-old son, Daniel.

"I always paint my kids when they're about 4 years-old," Cook said.

One of Cook's most affecting paintings is a portrait he did of his daughter, Laura, about six months before she died from a heart defect in 1989.

"She underwent a heart transplant at 18 months and stayed healthy for about six months after the surgery," Cook said.

Why do his clients pay for a painted portrait when they could spend less time and money on a photograph?

"Portraits do a better job of capturing a subject's personality. The talent of a portrait painter is communicating the spirit and the essence of the person irrespective of how they look," Cook said.

Cook says lighting is a crucial element in the success of a portrait painting. To this end, Cook targets three different lamps on his subjects. "One source of light is OK but if you want a three dimensional feeling you have to get light from more than one direction," Cook said.

Although he is new to the community, Cook has joined right in to help out with the upcoming annual elementary school auction. The Westwood Chapter of the PTO will be raffled off Cook's skills as a painter for $10 a ticket. "I'm offering a free sitting to the winning person," Cook said.

The result will be a 16-inch by 20-inch portrait that would normally cost $1,500. PTO Fundraiser Amy Wayne says the proceeds from the lottery will be used to purchase computers and playground equipment for Westwood's five elementary schools. Those interested in purchasing a ticket can contact Wayne at 551-0601

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American portrait artist and official, family or children painter by commission in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Washington DC, Delaware, Massachusetts and Connecticut. Richard James Cook painter and artist paints prominent people both in America and Canada. While official portrait painting contributes to becoming respected in his field, Cook as a portrait artist and painter equally enjoys family portrait commissions and children portrait commissions. Cook's museum quality fine art commissioned portraiture at its essence is said to capture the subject's inner spirit. Cook is regarded a realist, he is an artist and painter with impressionist influence.
      American portrait artist and painter Richard James Cook has commissions of president portraits, C.E.O. portraits, lawyer portraits, college dean portraits, bishop portraits and military portraits.
      As a Member of The Portrait Society of America and The Portrait Institute, Cook is considered a portrait artist and painter of renown. Clients liken his light and color oil portraits to John Singer Sargent, a master artist and painter with a stroke of genius. Whether a luxury portrait painting is for prestige or for posterity, child or president, Cook's commitment to uncompromising quality is evident in his art. Often pets will appear in Cook's portrait paintings.
      Before Cook became an American portrait artist he spent a short time as a wildlife painter. Cook's art career began with being accepted at Cambridge College of Art in 1973 but he opted for a college with a more commercial art application. He graduated in 1976. Cook is known as artist and portrait painter in Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts and Canada. He has been a painter and professional portrait artist for over a decade and has been represented as a portrait artist by brokers and galleries specialising in portrait artists in both Boston and Toronto.