"Complete happiness never seems to occur in the completion of a work of art...yet, the promise of it is felt in the process itself each time a work is started. It is the great insufficiency that drives me." Houston contemporary artist, Cookie Ashton attributes her adolescent upbringing in Venezuela to her early creative development and artistic talents. Cookie Ashton's practice is ingrained in themes of nature and its boundless qualities. Ashton has studied at the Centro Bellas Artes in Venezuela, The Glassell School at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, TX; the Instituto de Allende, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico; Les Illusiones School, Les Cerqueux, France; University of London, Chelsea Art School; the Slade School, London, England, as well as numerous workshops from selected well-known artists. Her work can be found in private and public collections around the world.