Blog
Day 1: CA Railroad Museum reincarnated: Wide Open Walls
Thrilled to be starting a complete repainting of the California State Railroad Museum mural that was installed as a digital mural in 1999. I’m repainting by hand this time as part of the fabulous mural festival, in Sacramento from August 10-20th. See Wide Open Walls site for all events, parties, and locations. My wall faces east, so I’ll be…
Making work, writing stuff, Squaw Valley
July 2017: Making work, writing stuff, and just returned from an amazing week with the Community of Writers at Squaw Valley. I’m an alum from 2013, and have attended 3 subsequent years as a roommate of a board member. Best year yet, between the authors, editors, agents, and participants. This is what a community means, and…
U.S.S. Midway, San Diego & more
March 2017. From a fun San Diego book event, to a tour of the USS Midway with a fellow who not only flew on and off carriers in Vietnam, but also commanded one. To backstage at the San Francisco Opera. The Opera House from the stage looking out, and from backstage, with a creepy prop from…
Drop by Drop: an installation of sight and sound
Drop by Drop, an installation of around 5,200 hand thrown, hand painted ceramic elements at 333 University Avenue, Sacramento. Ceramic, steel, steel cable, and water feature. View looking east to water feature, designed to enliven dead space under stairs, and to provide the sound of water to the space. Fabricated by the Jackson team.
Throwing drops for Drop X Drop, a mixed media installation
Took me forever to learn how to even begin throwing. It’s quite a metaphor for life, that there’s no equalibrium with relaxation, that if you’re not centered, you’re out of balance. Nothing can be forced. Nevertheless, I’m not interested in perfection, and that’s a good thing, ’cause there isn’t any. Each of these elements is…
Drop X Drop, an installation
Concepts get into my head and often just hang around until an opportunity emerges. This is the nature of my new commission for Jackson Properties, in Sacramento. The project in Campus Commons is a perfect space to reimagine “240 Tiny Paintings,” from my last exhibition with Solomon Dubnick Gallery, 2008. The original space: Concept rendering. Water feature…
Water: More or Less preview
A unique vision of the world of water as seen through the eyes of an artist, and through the words of those who work in water every day. PREVIEW the BOOK
Latest essay in Bee
“Ken Cooley has scrambled all over the Capitol, inside the walls and out.” Link to essay in the Sacramento Bee.
Busy summer
Shifting between writing and painting, ruminating and making stuff- what could be better? New work for a law firm that’s moving into 555 Capitol Mall: Three photographs, reproduced on aluminum. And ten reproductions from my fruits and veggies series, 12×12″ on panels, including: Earlier this month, I joined a group of amazing writers,…