COME TO UTOPIAN LIVING AS A FRIEND MICHELE COOK
Michele Cook is the proud owner of a very unique Utopia in Wauchope Utopian Living which is located on the corner of High and Cameron Street in Wauchope. This shop was calling out to her every time she drove by, so she decided to lease it. So now, every morning when Michele opens her shop for business, she will greet it with a “Hello!”. And you should say Hello too :) “Everyone that comes to my shop as a customer, leaves as a friend” Michele delights in her creative process and while it brings her tranquility and emotional healing, she is also very lifted by the people who enter her shop, see her works and fall in love with her creations. She has created things that delight people. That is a great source of joy and energy for Michele. At Utopian Living, you will witness Michele’s creative fire inside her. Painting became her place of solace. Starting to paint again after 16 years brought her stability and peace among her canvases and brushes. She started making handcrafted jewellery and was letting her creativity lead.
THE UTOPIAN PROCESS Michele uses the style Dutch Pour in her artworks. This involves mixing her own colours and layering them onto the canvas and then blowing them out with a hairdryer or an airbrush or a straw. Each painting comes to life with its own body, texture and tone. Every piece is different and unique. It is in fact, impossible to create the same piece even if she wanted to, because the way the colours interact take on their own life force, and you never quite know what you could create. Nothing is forced or controlled, everything flows and there is a feeling of the essence of life when each molecule, each bubble, each wave, each fold take on their own form, shaped by its external conditions. Each piece is like how a human is born - unique, special and perfect in its own way.
UTOPIAN CREATIONS Michele’s handcrafted rings are a special favourite with many. She uses raw gemstones, diamonds and rubies set in silver in an organic and creative process. These are creations that make one want to wear always and to pass it on for years to come. Michele even has 100% Italian merino wool scarves. These are of course handmade by Michele. She is not one to sit back and get comfortable. Michele researched on clothes to see if there was an avenue for a niche. She found an American company offering a range of funky but not over-the-top pieces. It has a beautiful bohemian charm and ease, and every piece has its unique spunk and identity. This has since become a hot favourite with the community and Michele is eager for new arrivals. One reason why Michele’s Utopian Living is growing so beautifully is her ability to stretch out and explore. She likes supporting others who handcraft, reuse or who create beautiful pieces as a way to meet their own living needs. Michele’s exquisite silk bangle wraps sourced from India are an example of this. Her son travelled there a few years ago and met some ladies working in sari making factories. These women worked long hours for a meagre pay. At the end of the day, they collected their scraps of silk ribbon to sell on the side to support their families. Michele researched and found these ladies. After making contact with them, she now purchases from them and creates bangles from the silk.
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Michele´s sense of community is clearly not limited by geography. Michele values pieces that have been lovingly made by hand and which has been created with the gift of time, skill and effort. Products mass produced in an assembly line are not her cup of tea. She loves looking out for the simple beauty of all kinds of common objects we often take for granted - handcrafted perfume bottles, leather belts, elegant light shades, candle holders and stands. She has sourced for these from around the world from artisans. As an artist and creator herself, she understands the value of a pair of hands of a skilled craftsman.
