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About Me
Who is Cooley
I am Ginger Cooley, or just "Cooley" for short. I am an artist, photographer, writer, archaeologist and technical editor. I am currently open for art commissions, but not journalism or photography assignments.
Cooley, the Artist
As soon as I was able to hold a crayon - I was creating - from the walls of the staircase as a kid (of which my mother did not approve), to the detailed digital paintings I now complete. When I graduated from Salmen High School in Slidell, Louisiana in 2002, I headed across the nation to DigiPen Institute of Technology in Redmond, Washington. For two years, I studied 3D animation for video game design. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy animation, so I shifted my attention to the study of art and photography at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. After Hurricane Katrina, I rejoined my family - who had since moved to Wasilla - and it was in Alaska I became much more than an artist...
Cooley, the Photographer
In late 2005, I enrolled in the University of Alaska, Anchorage (UAA) and learned all about traditional photography. But as alluring as the dark room was, I much preferred the versatility of digital techniques. Thus, I went on to teach myself digital photography and Adobe Photoshop 7, CS2, CS3 (and now, CS4). I currently submit photos to Accent Alaska, a stock photography company based in Girdwood. My photos have appeared in several publications, including Alaska Magazine, Contractor Magazine, as well as Web sites such as MSNBC.com and SpaceWeather.com.
Cooley, the Writer
Whether it is academic, work-related, blogging or a book, I can't help but enjoy writing. In December 2007, I graduated with honors from UAA and was granted a B.A. degree in journalism and public communications, with a focus in photojournalism. I briefly became a freelance photojournalist for the school newspaper (The Northern Light), as well as Contractor Magazine and True North Magazine. Unlike my art commissions, I no longer accept freelance journalism assignments. Instead, I currently dedicate my time to writing a fantasy novel which I expect to complete within several years. I have also written a children's book, which I have yet to publish, due to the amount of time and research required to find an appropriate publisher. I am, however, keeping an eye out for a writing agent.
Cooley, the Archaeologist
In 2006, I participated in my first archaeological field school, which was offered through UAA. The very next field season, I returned to the Knik Town Site outside of Wasilla to study the interactions between Dena'ina (a Northern Athabascan group of Alaska Natives) and Russians in a more advanced field school. Throughout 2007 and 2008, I aided the Matanuska-Susitna Borough in surveys and excavations at the Cottonwood Creek village site, Talkeetna, Point MacKenzie and Wasilla Creek house sites. The Borough went on to hire me as a cultural resource assistant in 2008, where I cultivated a new passion for archaeology. I have since returned to UAA to earn a M.A. in Applied Anthropology (Cultural Resource Management), which I hope to complete in 2014.
Cooley, the Technical Editor
Not long after working as a cultural resource assistant, I was approached by AECOM Environment and offered a full-time position as a Staff Specialist in Anchorage. Since my hire at AECOM in late 2008, I have aided in researching cultural sites along the TransCanada Alaska Pipeline Project corridor, participated in archaeological investigations for the Solar Millennium Project in Blythe, California, and have worked on a series of other cultural-related projects for several AECOM offices outside of Alaska, including Calgary (Canada) and Minneapolis. I have also been called upon to provide artistic and technical editing skills to AECOM. I currently act as one of AECOM’s few document specialists, tech-editing a wide array of project documents.
Cooley, the...
In my spare time, I participate in a number of hobbies and sports - one of these is hunting. After a successful bear hunt in 2008, I have taken to hunting whenever I can afford the opportunity. I hope to continue expanding my horizons, both in the professional field, as well as in sports and hobbies. I make jewelry, downhill ski, snowshoe, and hike. I enjoy video games, movies, a good pint of beer, a glass of wine, fine dining and cooking game. I love to sea kayak, camp, explore and make the very most of life! Feel free to contact me if you are interested in my career or archaeology, my art or photography portfolio, my writing, or well, whatever it was that brought you to my Web site. Thank you for visiting!
And for the record... I'm currently dating someone ;-)