Becky Cochrane
Writer, Artist
Writer, Artist
Enjoy the site, and feel free to tell me what's on your mind by e-mailing me at
becky(at)beckycochrane(dot)com.
Enjoy the site, and feel free to tell me what's on your mind by e-mailing me at
becky(at)beckycochrane(dot)com.
When I was about the age you see in the photo to your left, something amazing happened. My family had just moved to a new town. It was summer, I didn't know any other kids, and my brother and sister were too old to play with me. One day, the girl next door, who was also several years older, noticed me sitting in my front yard, alone with nothing to do.
She went inside her house. When she came out again, she was carrying a shiny, black plastic case and a box. In a wonderful gesture of kindness and generosity, she gave me her entire collection of Mattel dolls--two Barbies, two Kens--and stacks of Mattel fashions.
I didn't have a lonely moment the rest of that summer. Those dolls gave me a chance to use my imagination and whatever resources were available to me to make up stories for them. My canopy bed became a circus big top. Old boxes became furniture for the dolls' rooms I created in the hall outside the bedroom I shared with my sister. My mother handed over old scarves and fabric scraps to add to my dolls' wardrobes. The entire outdoors became available for the dolls' adventures.
The stories I made up for my Barbies and Kens weren't the first ones I'd created in my life, but they gave me a deeper understanding of character development. They gave me visuals for my action scenes. They made my imagination tangible.
I credit my parents, an uncle, and a couple of teachers for nurturing my desire to write. But I also owe much to a good neighbor as well as a cast of dolls that grew over the years.
Inspired by the artists I've known, I've also directed some of my creative energy into paintings. I've been painting small canvases since 1997. Recently, I decided to work on larger canvases in my True Colors series that Houston's Té House of Tea exhibited in February 2010.
Clicking on the icons on your right will give you more information about my books, my art, and me.
Best,
Becky Cochrane
Novels Becky has written.
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What Becky has to say at her online LiveJournal.
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Why Becky paints.