Stretch

Good morning,

Welcome to the Cooper studio on play day (Saturday!) I want to talk about stretch, stretching and stretchers, today. Curious words, eh? Let me explain.

I am one of those artists who actually enjoys stretching their own canvases.

I had been ordering stretcher bars from the same company for a long time, whenever I needed new, I mindlessly went to their website and ordered. A year ago, something happened, and their quality slipped. But I needed some more and ordered again. A bigger slip. I called the company. They sent me a duplicate order with the promise that they would be better. They were, sort of.

But it was time to stretch out of the routine. I tried a new company. I just got a new order of stretchers from the fedex guy yesterday. Amazing. I think something that is functional, solid and well made can be called beautiful. These definitely fit the parameters.

My only question now is why did it take me so long to stretch from the routine of ordering from the same company? Does routine seem more logical in non-creative tasks? Ha! Are routine and non-creative tasks synonymous?

Later, Cooper

Oh, and if you like to stretch your canvases as well, the really nice ones came from Dick Blick.

Spencer, Iowa, Parks

Greetings,

My goal here is to write about "what makes artists paint the way they do". Hopefully, I won't pick up a paint brush yet today. Let me explain.

Spencer, Iowa is a pretty darn great town to live in. Right at the top of the pretty darn great list is the wealth of city parks the town holds in it's proper.

A few years ago, the Spencer Park system, specifically "East Leach Park" gained a beautiful in-ground (concrete) skate park. Note the word "skate". That means the rules board bolted to the post says ONLY skate board or inline skates. No BMX bikes allowed. We've heard various reasons/excuses/rumors as to the logic of this ruling, trust me, they're all weak.

Today, my husband and I were on a bike ride through East Leach Park. We stopped to watch the kids at the skate park. There was one skate boarder present, there aren't many skate boarders in Spencer. Ironic, hm? Several people on bmx bikes are present, there always are. Out of the corner of my eye I see the car with the lights on top. People yell, "Cop"! One kid wasn't quick enough. It cost him $63 dollars. Yup, that's the price of a ticket for riding your bike in the park.

So a multi-thousand dollar park facility, restricted to the majority of the people wanting to use it. Just doesn't make sense, does it?

Sometimes don't you just want to take somebody by the head and give'em a good shake? And we are so glad I'd already decided not to pick up a paint brush yet today!

Later, Cooper

Omaha Summer Arts Festival

Greetings,

The Omaha Summer Arts Festival is just around the corner. In fact, let me give you the dates:

Friday June 26th, 11am-8pm

Saturday June 27th, 11am-8pm

Sunday June 28th, 11am-5pm

And even more importantly, let me tell you where I'll be :)

I am artist/exhibitor #82, which means in front of the library, vaguely the intersection of 14th and Farnam, in downtown Omaha, Nebraska.

I have been fielding a few questions regarding which paintings I will be bringing :), and yes, as many as possible, but the trusty van does have it's limitations. If you have connected with a specific painting at my website and are needing to see it up close and personal, please let me know. I will make sure it has reserved accomodations for the trip!

As this post is appearing to need a bit of color, I will show you what is currently on the easel, and will hopefully reach completion by the above mentioned dates!

Later, Cooper

Iowa City Arts Festival, It Happened Downtown

Greetings,

The Iowa City Arts Festival is happening soon. In fact, very soon. The dates are June 6th and 7th. And I have a painting to show you that's related in an unrelated sort of way. "How does that work" you ask? Ha! Here's the title: It Happened Downtown.

Yup, the Iowa City Arts Festival happens in downtown Iowa City, Iowa. The streets of Dubuque, Iowa, Washington and Linn, are all involved, and yours truely will be location #104 on Linn Street.

AND. The aforementioned painting, at the moment not quite ready, but almost, will make the trip with me. So debut performance on this painting, but there will be others in the 'fresh off the easel' category as well. It Happened Downtown is an acrylic painting on a 30 x 30 inch canvas. If you are desperate for a downtown Iowa City scene, we can pretend this is one, but in reality downtown Minneapolis was the inspiration location. But. Like I said, we allow big imaginations in the world of art :) so you just go for it!

If you have visited with me about my paintings before and are on my mailing list, you should have received (or will shortly) a post card mentioning a 10% discount for a painting purchased during the Iowa City Arts Festival. I would like to extend that to my online fans as well, so make sure you mention reading this, and we will make it happen for you too!

Later, Cooper

Greetings,

Welcome to the Cooper studio on this fine, albeit galeforcewindy day, in Spencer, Iowa. It is delightfully warm, and you can't argue with that!

Have I whined lately about keeping this house spotless? Yes, we are trying to sell, and I am getting close to wearing out the vacuum cleaner. The day is so magnificent that of course the windows are wide open. Couple that with the aforementioned gfwinds, and now I get to dust everything, along with the vacuuming. Another showing tomorrow at noon, so no morning painting. And let me tell you, with that going on till mid-day, it will be mentally hard to paint in the afternoon as well. The whole process does mess with the mind. It's amazing that I get any painting done at all. But I did today. This one is on a 20 x 16 inch heavy paper, still a little rough around the edges in places. We'll see, maybe getting a house ready for showing will zap my thoughts a different direction, and this one will finish up tomorrow. Who knows?

---no title yet, but who wants to bet that it will include "red"?!

Later, Cooper

Why Artists Paint The Way They Do

And a big YEA!

Now, we've got to get him through college! Ha, I'd better get back to the studio.

Later, Cooper

At The Cooper Studio

Greetings,

A goal organized in 2008 is the quarterly sending of a studio newsletter. Only 25 days late on the quarter :), here's a copy of said newsletter that went out to subscribers earlier this week. If you are desirous of joining the group, here's the link.

___________________________

What's new at the Cooper studio ? We'll attempt for one-liners in an effort to keep it minimal!

My husband picked up a book a few years back, Keep Your Brain Alive, by Katz and Rubin. My favorite subtitle from the book is "routines can be brain deadening". Wouldn't the alternative then be change is good? My brain ought to be like that of a twenty year old. Allow me to share a mere 14 months of change:

1. March 2008 daughter Lindsey and son-in-law Chris decided it was time for me to change to Grandma status. Plural. Girls. Yup, count to two.

2. September 2008 son Brian and daughter-in-law Lynn decided to do it their way. Boy, but they kept it singular :)

3. Son Brent decided he needed to add to the excitement last fall, so he arranged for me to meet him at the emergency room. Do you know what the bottom of a leg looks like when the foot is over and to the left a bunch? I don't recommend that you find out.

4. Because we have four children and all four of them like to keep our brains fit with change, daughter Abbie decided last November was a great time to get married. In Florida . It was perfect, and now we have a Jim in the family!

5. And did I mention our house is on the market? We are planning to move south. Well, a little. Still in Iowa , but closer to my husband's work. This has actually been in the plans for a year and a half while we wait for #6

6. The youngest Cooper (the one who did the premium trash job on his ankle) graduates this May! High school that is. Yes, that means we are also doing all the onward to college stuff. Dios Mio.

Now, after that, aren't we all amazed that I am still mentally capable of creating paintings? But I have been! Let me share a few.

During the November journey to Florida, we came across the coolest of little (emphasis little) cafes.

This cafe, the Heavenly Biscuit, Fort Myers Beach, inspired the painting of the same name, At The Heavenly Biscuit, currently on display at the Wine Bar Art Gallery in Arnolds Park, Iowa. It's an acrylic painting on a gallery wrapped canvas (finished edges) and measures 30 x 30 inches.

Although nothing is finer than to smoosh the paint around on a nice big canvas, I have been playing around with a smaller size canvas as well. A quick peek at a few:

Everybody Need A Little Treat Now And Then, also an acrylic painting on canvas, this one measuring 12 x 12 inches. available here

Maybe I Would Like Some Of That, 12 x 12 inch canvas, available here

I was in Evanston, Illinois last summer. This painting and the following are scenes of some of the people that needed painting outside the "Unicorn Cafe" in downtown Evanston.

Saturday Morning, Nothing Much To Do, acrylic painting on canvas, this one is back to a larger size. Ha! Can't get that much fun on a small canvas. This canvas is 32.5 x 36 inches. It's framed in a narrow black canvas floater frame.

Tea And A Book At The Unicorn, again, acrylic on canvas, 24 x 30 inches

Icecream Line, 30 x 30 inch canvas, framed in a narrow black strip frame also from the Evanston sojourn, picturing a scene just one block south of the Unicorn Cafe. And there are others. You may hop on over to my website portfolio to enjoy those. Here's a link

Some of these paintings will be traveling this summer. As follows:

June 5-7, Iowa Arts Festival, downtown Iowa City, Iowa their website is http://www.summerofthearts.org/

June 26-28, the 35th Annual Omaha Summer Arts Festival, downtown Omaha, Nebraska their website is http://www.summerarts.org/

September 6-7, the 55th Annual Art Fair On The Square, downtown Lake Forest, Illinois their website is http://www.deerpathartleague.org/

I am considering a few additions to the list, and promise to keep you informed.Surely that is enough for you to mull over for now! If you have any questions, feel free to give me a call 712 580 5315 or an email coopkja@yahoo.com I would love to hear from you.

Later, Cooper

Art Fair Director Woes?

How much do you know about summer art fairs? You know, the white tents in the park?

I have actually written two articles on the subject lately, and it looks like number three is joining the crowd. Farmers And Artists And The Job investigates the aforementioned job descriptions in a (ahem) bouyant sort of manner. Should I Stay Or Should I Go-oh, The Summer Art Fair 2009, gives my top ten reasons to do just that---actually go to a show, or bash it, and stay home.

And here we are again, writing yet another summer art fair article. Sheesh. I'm acting like I know it all! Ha! I know some. But first let me give you the behind-the-scenes.

Most art fairs operate with a jury system. The artist submits their images (of their artwork) AND their jury fee check to the show they'd like to exhibit at. Yes Dorothy, we have to pay to even be considered. Jury fees range from $10 to $40. I haven't seen any higher than that, and I don't want to either. The jury sits and looks at artist's images at the rate of approximately one artist every ten seconds and then decides who they want to exhibit at their event. Notification is sent out to the winners and losers. The winners then get to send in their exhibit fee which is hardly ever less than $100, and I personally chose to ignore those that are over $500. And this win/win situation gives you the opportunity to drive a long ways and spend a weekend in a park hoping you'll meet someone who loves your paintings as much as your mother does :)

There is also a category known as "the wait-list artist". "And what in tarnation is that?" you might ask. Let me explain. Because all the jurying-limbo is done early in the year, and nobody knows where they are going to get accepted, many artists apply for several events, and ironically get accepted to fairs that happen on the same weekend. That means they have to cancel at one, leaving a blank spot in that art fair lineup. Heavens, we can't have a blank spot in the lineup, rather we develop the wait-list. So comes the list of ten to twenty artists who weren't quite favored enough to be winners, but weren't tossed out as complete losers either. One of those lucky souls then gets the call to send in their exhibit fee check and join in the fun.

Heads up: here comes the part that caused me to think it important to write this article. Today in my inbox I found an email from an art fair director announcing they had "openings" for their wait-list. What? Are they rebels and not following the art fair testament? OR is this a sign of things to come in the art fair world this summer? Inquiring minds want to know how many of their normal applicants did they not get this time around? And they need to round up a few more to keep in waiting, just in case? Wow. Several directors have also sent emails announcing their extended deadlines for application submission. (read: we haven't gotten enough yet either!)

Personally, I have picked and chosen with a significant amount of discerning care regarding potential art fairs for my summer calendar. I sent about 1/5 of the number of applications this year versus the previous. Gone is the desire to gamble on a "maybe" art fair.

Let's refer back to paragraph #3, where I insinuated I might know it all. Maybe, and here's some advice: If you are thinking starting up an art fair this year, would be a great fundraiser for your organization, you might want to reconsider. Times they are a changin'.

Later, Cooper

Farmers And Artists And The Job

Greetings,

I have decided that for an artist, showing your work at the summer art fair is just a little bit, no, wait, A LOT like farming. Yes, as a matter of fact, I do have experience at both, odd as it sounds. Regarding their similarity, let me count the ways:

1. The summer art fair artist and the farmer both pray continually for good weather.

2. The summer art fair artist and the farmer are both inveterate gamblers. Both put their work out there and hope something grows. Crops or interest, accordingly. The gambling part you ask? What are the odds if I put the seed in the ground that something will come of it? And what are the odds if I hang a painting up for the world to see, that something will come of THAT?

3. Both parties run their own schedule. Gotta love those 'no clocks to punch' jobs, eh?

4. Addendum to #3, if something goes wrong, no one to blame but yourself. (or the weather)

5. The general public lives under errant assumptions regarding both fields of endeavor. Let me explain:

5a. The farmer; a God fearing, clean living sort of person, always of rugged muscular physique, (in g.p.'s eyes/mind) always lives out on the open prairie where the air is fresh and clean, and wide green pastures are dotted with black and white cows and red hip-roofed barns circa 1950. Oh, and they grow food for everyone, often at a loss, because they are just doggone nice people.
5b. The summer art fair artist; a gypsy sort of character, wearing a beret and a paint splattered apron, rises at 11:30 am, sometimes noon, spends their time traveling from one art show to another, a different town each weekend. (they are all on that same show circuit, you know) They have an easy job, because there's really nothing to it actually, I mean all they do is hang up paintings, right? Oh, and they provide lots of people with entertainment, often at a loss, because they are just doggone nice people.

Who'd of thought it, farmers and artists, all in one blog post? And for even more insightful info regarding the summer art fair artist, you might enjoy reading Should I Stay Or Should I Go-oh? The Summer Art Fair 2009. If you want more insightful info as to farmers, I could give you some phone numbers---- :) !

Later, Cooper

Daily Painting, Acrylic Painting, "Saturday Morning, Nothing Much To Do"

Greetings,

I have been painting steadily for an upcoming show in April, at the Clear Lake Art Center. A gallery at Arnold's Park, The Wine Bar Art Gallery, is gathering art for the summer season and asked if I'd bring up some new. But of course! I took a good supply so they could pick and choose. The picked and chose all but one that I took up! Yea!

So that question we always ask at this blog "why do artists paint the way they do" ---well, "the way" just went from steadily to steadily with more speed. Yowza.

But some color for you:
I have several stages of this one posted at the daily painting blog, and with just a few (ahem) adjustments, this one will get the signature. At least that's the plan. Oh, and it's name: Saturday Morning, Nothing Much To Do

Later, Cooper

Thoughts On Readying For The Economic Upswing, And Painting To Match The Sofa

Greetings,

I am into a book, Vincent By Himself, edited by Bruce Bernard. Technically, it's written by VanGogh, as it's really a compilation of his letters, interspersed with his paintings. In one of his many letters to brother Theo, I found a gem of a paragraph, which I'd like to share with you.

But first I would like to set it in present day context, because it really seemed to me as current today as it must have been when he wrote it. There have been many blogs written lately by artists planning to stay home from shows this summer, work on their art, hone up on their skills, study, maybe even create a new body of work, written as constructive, positive-outlook letters, by artists whose paintings aren't selling well in the current economy. Situations assessed, plans made for moving forward. Here's the paragraph:

"As to the the money value of my work, I do not pretend to anything less than that it would greatly astonish me if in time my work did not become just as saleable as that of others. (somebody's paintings aren't selling?) Of course I cannot tell whether that will happen now or later, but I think the surest way, which cannot fail, is to work from nature faithfully and energetically. (study?) Sooner or later feeling and love for nature meet a response from people who are interested in art. (prepare for the time when people are ready to buy art?) It is the painter's duty to be entirely absorbed by nature and to use all his intelligence to express sentiment in his work so that it becomes intelligible to other people. In my opinion working for the market is not exactly the right way: on the contrary, it means fooling art lovers. The true painters have not done this".-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I love how he added in that 'not working for the market' phrase in a letter regarding paintings not selling. Do you suppose by that we can assume he really didn't care what the decorator colors were for the coming season? Ha! No painting to match the sofa concerns at the VanGogh studio, I would say.

But for those of you artists out there, working hard to prepare for the time when people will buy your paintings, I say "way to go!" It would seem to be an exceedingly good time to progress your skills. And about Vincent's remarks as to the ideals of a true painter, he's probably just as right now as he was then. Don't just paint to get by, paint to get THERE.

Later, Cooper

oh wait, do you need some color for this post? Ha, in lazy mode today, I entered this same writing on my daily painting blog. There, I decided everybody needed Knowledge Found In Quiet Places. Here, I am quite sure we need a bona fide student. So here you are then, Tea And A Book At The Unicorn.

Daily Painting, Someone's Lunch

Hi there,

Welcome to daily painting at the Cooper studio. The paint du jour landed on one of my little 12 x 12 inch canvases. We are calling the painting, Someone's Lunch. As always lately, it's painted with acrylic paint.

I stretched a nice, big canvas this morning, and it's plan is another side walk cafe painting. The person from this little canvas will quite likely show up in the midst of all her patrons on the big canvas. Stay tuned. but for now, here's the image:

Someone's Lunch, acrylic painting on a gallery wrapped canvas, measuring a lovely 12 x 12 inches. You may find it, available at $125, in my portfolio. Enjoy.

Later, Cooper

Daily Painting And Why Do Artists Paint The Way They Do

Howdy,

Why DO artists paint they way they do? That would be a long list. Let's just mention one for today.

There's a show coming up midApril of my paintings. Yeah, about 20 of them, is what I'm shooting for. I have a friend who says "oh, boring" of exhibits titled "latest works of" and that every good exhibit needs to be focused on something. I'm thinking consumables. You know, food, drink, things that are tasty. In fact I'm thinking along the line of 'in pursuit of tasty'.

Today was a warmup day. Just a little canvas, 12 x 12 inches, and here it is:



'Taint it fun? It's available at my website if you'd like to bop over there :)

Now it's time to go paint with a really big brush, and a roller. Ha, we're talking the walls of the bathroom. Yup, there's always something that needs painted, one way or the other!

Later, Cooper

Reviewing "Sketching School" by Judy Martin

Good morning,

I was browsing the art shelves at a great little used book store, "The Used Book Emporium" in Longmont, Colorado. I was on a sketchbookbinge, and what should reveal itself on that shelf, but a copy of Sketching School by author Judy Martin.

It's dust jacket front promised 'complete with projects and a gallery of inspirational drawings. The back of the dust jacket followed up with 'let sketching school be your personal tutor, 40 specially designed projects, stepbystep instruction, sketching demonstrations by leading artists'. What's not to love about all that, right?

The book opens, and it's full of Stan Smith drawings (plus others) which is an auto-magnet. Of course, I purchase the book.

We return home to Iowa, perusing the visual content of the book on the way :). Back at home I decide I need to get into the text of the book as well. After all, it is a project book, designed to help me learn.

I've found the best way to do an instructional book is read the project and then DO IT, before moving on to the next. Hmmm. The problems begin. Where are those promised projects? Where is that stepbystep instruction? Ok, I did find a couple of 'sketching demonstrations by leading artists', but what about those '40 specially designed projects' the dust jacket print told me about? I tried to keep going, tried to find the 'meat' of the text, kept telling myself just keep working your way thorough it. The author's message will become clear shortly. Nope. Didn't happen.

If I were a betting woman (I'm not) I'd bet that this book was the result of a difference of opinion between author and editor. One of them thought it should be instructional, the other wanted it to be inspirational. So whoever wanted it to be inspirational kind of won. I will keep the book on my shelf because of the very inspirational Stan Smith sketches included in the book. Will I ever attempt to read the text again? Not any time soon.

Do I recommend you buy a copy? Only if you think your checkbook owes you some eye candy! I regretfully report the text of the book as 'not helpful'.

Later, Cooper

Book Review, "Bodyworks, A Visual Guide To Drawing The Figure

Hello and welcome to my journal blog.

Always at the focus of this blog is the ongoing investigation of what makes artists paint the way they do! And always a major influence at this artist's studio, is a good book.

Is the "s" not the curviest letter in the alphabet? Of course it is. And that's where "Bodyworks, A Visual Guide To Drawing The Figure" begins, with, think like an "S"!

Marbury Hill Brown is the author of this not too thick book, a nice,managable 112 pages.

Brown, with a sideview look, visually traces that "s" from the base of the skull, down the spine to the pelvis, out to the front of the upper thigh and down to the arch of the foot.

Mr. Brown attributes a lot of human figurative qualitites to this posture note:

1. Balance
2. Flexability
3. Mobility
4. Grace
5. Resiliency

Likening the s-curve in the figure to a spring, he encourages the reader to think of it as a cushion against the impact of movement, as it counters the downward pull of gravity.

An especially agreeable writing skill Brown possesses is the ability to give the human figure motion, with words, that describe both the action and the reaction. Everything has a reason in the big picture, which is a definite bonus for all the right brain-ers of the world.

Oh, and did I mention the drawings? :) Yeah, I was just saving the best for last. The marvelous drawings are the absolute essence of this book. I've already told you Brown puts balance, mobility, flexability, grace, and resiliency right up front in his book, in word. And then he follows that with page after page of visual examples in the form of wonderfully descriptive drawings. It would be perfectly acceptable :) to buy this book for the drawings alone---you may consider the text as a bonus!

I recommend this book to any artist interested in drawing the human figure, but especially to those who are captivated by posture and using body language to inform.

And because no blog post should ever be without color, here's a newly completed painting for you: Morning News.

Nice s-curve, huh? Details of Morning News are on my daily painting blog and also my website portfolio. So, enjoy the painting and enjoy the book!

Later, Cooper

On Family Gatherings

Good morning and happy new year!

My friend Mary (yup, that's her link over there on the side bar) wrote on her blog about her extended family (the Moore's) gathering at Christmas time. It's a delightful education for those of you who don't know about large families. When we lived in Nebraska, we had the privilege of knowing Jack (now in his heavenly home) and Dorothy Moore, so seeing that family photo was special.

It's kind of like the extended family on my side, the Andersons. We are a crazy group of people, pretty much hell-bent on getting to Grandma's house at Christmas, no-matter-what. This year, my brother Dennis and his tractor, accompanied by Dennis's son Eric, met each carload of crazyAndersons at the highway, to plow a trail in through the snow drifts. When we all left on Sunday night, he had to do the whole procedure in reverse. (Dennis, you are an amazing brother) Bear in mind, a quarter mile of this trail was actually in a corn field. We'll call it a field road. One of those kind normally reserved for farm equipment. But a good time was had by all.

My parents have nineteen granchildren, Seven are married. Four are not old enough to be married. (!) That leaves eight out there in 'available land' and they like to keep the aunts hopeful and guessing! So you never know who's going to show up at the door.

One memorable year at Grandma and Grandpa's house, which,when the youngest grandchild, Aaron, was about six, reigns in the history book as the true record of how it goes. First, you need to know about Aaron. Actually, you need to know Aaron. If you googled 'delightful humans' you'd probably find him in the number one spot. It only takes about a five minute chat with him and all of a sudden you're just feeling better about everything in general. Anyway, back to the year Aaron was six-ish or so. The Anderson house was packed to the seams with people. The doorbell rang. Aaron, (still intrigued with door bells) ran to answer. He opens the door with "Hi, I'm Taylor, welcome to our family!" We still aren't sure why he decided to be Taylor at that moment, but we all agree the message was true: add one more person, and you still never have too many.

And because our Christmas cards are still in the box, with only 4 or 5 of them addressed, Merry Christmas!

Later, Karen

Babies

Greetings and Merry Christmas,

It was for me---look who came to our house!

sisters on the left, cousin on the right. They just don't come any sweeter, do they :)

Later, Cooper

Slacker-dom

Howdy,
Ignore the title, I really have not been slacking. The posts have all just landed on the other blog. But today, you get one here!

So you know who Buddy Holley, Richie Valens and The Big Bopper were, right? Fifty years ago this coming January/February, they made the little town of Clear Lake, Iowa and a place called the Surf Ballroom famous, by playing a concert there, and then trying to take a plane ride out during a blizzard. Yeah, as the story goes, they didn't make it.

But every year since, "The Winter Dance Party" happens at the Surf to commemorate 'the day the music died'. This year being the 50th anniversary, they are pulling out all the stops. If you google their website 50winterslater, you'll note that a week's worth of concerts are already sold out. Sorry. BUT: The Clear Lake Art Center is helping out with the party by putting together a retro-50's art exhibit, or at least various artist's interpretation thereof.

I promised to have a couple of paintings ready, and there is a fun one going on the easel right now. We'll keep you posted.

Later, Cooper

Reasons To Paint, Why Artist Paint The Way They Do

Greetings,

This fall we stained our concrete patio, and could not decide if we wanted to seal it with "high gloss" or "natural". This morning as it is sealed in about 1/4 inch of glossy ice, we decided we like that look but wish is was artificial :)

I have a lot on my paint brush schedule today part of which is a throw back to my ongoing exploration into why artists paint the way they do.

Last spring I posted a bonus package for you, a real two-fer! Today you get the update:

Liberty Jean, and Mia Corrine, tucked into their Burley and ready for a good walk/run!

And then on September 15th, along comes their Colorado cousin, Arridian James Cooper. He needs a painting for his room, and then because his aunt Abbie is getting married soon, she needs a new painting for her new house. So much for the business end of studio work, eh? Time to go spread some paint!

Later, Cooper

Snow On The Rooftop

Howdy,

It's official. Summer is a now-fleeting memory.

This is the view out my studio window today. So we expect something unusual to happen inside the studio, right?

You know the line, 'what makes artists paint the way they do?' Too much white stuff outside the studio, two white canvases leaning on the wall inside the studio, ----I had no choice. I covered them up. I grabbed the big brush, found two of the thumbnail sketches I have been working on, and slathered them onto the canvases. In purple. Now, I'm going to go make chicken noodle soup for dinner tonight, and after that, hopefully have a few spare minutes to add some paint to these canvases, so that they are a little more explanatory to all the rest of you. Fortunately, I, myself, know with perfect certainty what they are saying :)

Later, Cooper

Daily Painting, Acrylic Painting On The Small Canvas

Howdy!

What a great day! What are the odds that it ran over into the "effectiveness column" of that list I keep about "why artists paint the way they do"? What scales were tipped because it was a great day? Did I paint with more confidence? Did I paint with abandon, and not even care? Oh yeah, wait, that's what abandon means, right? Were my brush strokes stronger, more definitive? Did I find that great and perfect contrast of values? Was I smiling because it was a great day, and then the colors became even brighter, friendlier, than normal? Was it such a great day that I sensed the attitude of this simple little compostion, and added to it, rather than obsessing over whether it was correct?

Whew, that all makes me question attitude in realms other than painting---what if I operated on every day being a great day, even if most of what was on the schedule was just paying bills and cleaning the house? (Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people, eh? (Ephesians 6:7) What would happen then?!

Ok, here's a painting for you:

Little Canvas, Swirly Red Skirt, 12 x 12 inches, acrylic painting on canvas

Later, Cooper

DesMoines Art Festival Poster Kids

Howdy,

So if you are on the mailing list for the Des Moines Art Festival, you probably found one of these (ahem) posters in your inbox tonight. Heheheheh. Don't you just gotta love artists with a sense of humor? Whoever at the Des Moines Art Festival is the artist behind this winner, my hat's off to you! Here's a portion of the email:


I’m not asking for your vote, but I am asking you to apply to the 2009 Des Moines Arts Festival!



HootHootHoot! Makes politics seem almost human!

Later, Cooper

ps. do ya think I should get sued for libel? :) Yadayada, lighten up.

Series: What Makes Artists Paint The Way They Do?

Greetings,

I have been doing some reading about painters who work in series, or groups of paintings that explore the same subject.

You see, I have been feeling a bit repetitious---here's a canvas that I just blocked in:

Yup, we're back in June-time in Minneapolis at the Great River Energy Bicycle Races. And yes, I've already painted a painting where there is a spectator on the left and there is a blur of cyclists coming right at you. But this one is different---I have a photo reference from in front of Brit's Pub, and there are flags/banners flying much in the manner of Manet's Rue Mosnier Decked With Flags. And then there were the crowds, and the excitement, and the cyclists going by in a blur of speed (again!)---and it's impossible to say all that in one painting. Series.

I met a school principal in Boulder this summer who liked my painting Higher Education, except that it needed to be elementary school aged readers rather than college-aged readers, and could I possibly paint something like that? Well, that was the wrong question. The correct question was "could I possibly paint something like that ONCE?" Series.

(1) We always read that a good compostion is edited, that picking and choosing from your inspiration source is mandatory. The surest way to mess things up is to think that you can include everything. Series.

(2) A successful painting is about something you know. So you observe and you sketch, and you observe and you photo, and you observe some more and then maybe sketch again---all in an attempt to really get to know your subject. You end up with a massive amount of stuff on this subject. It's like school pictures of your kids, they send home this pile of pictures of your darlings knowing that YOU KNOW that if you don't buy them, then you have to send them back and they will just throw them away. Isn't that like a sin? Who can throw away all those good images, kids OR reference material?! Series.

(3) What about strength through repetition? Something interesting happened in our life drawing group. We have one very consistent model, who wanted to take the summer months off. During those summer months we had numerous models, seldom repeating. Two friends and I just opened our show "Go Figure"at the Pearson Lakes Art Center, with much of the work based on those life drawing sessions. Of forty paintings, one was of a model from the summer months where there was no repetition. The model with whom we work on a regular basis, (can we call it a series?!) was in many paintings. Series.

(4) I suppose we could also enter the point that we've got history on our side. How many times did Paul Cezanne paint Mont Sainte-Victoire? And Monet and the water lilies? Berthe Morisot (yeah, one of my favorites) painted her daughter time after time. Series.

Let's summarize: we can't paint everything all in one painting, we have a ton of reference material, and when we paint the same subject repeatedly we get good work. Not to mention all those famous guys whose work, in series, is pretty doggone famous as well. I've got two books on the bedside table, both authors stating that the subject doesn't matter, each for a different reason. (that'll be another post) I vote that the subject does matter, and we need to be repeating it, series style!

Later, Cooper

By the way, the Morisot painting I referenced is Young Girl Writing. I saw it as part of a traveling exhibit of impressionist work at the Grinnell College Art Gallery (Grinnell, Iowa) I vaguely remember it being on loan from Smith College at that time, but can't find it in their archives now. Has anyone seen it lately? It's currently not very google-able :(

U of Iowa link, To The Wharf painting

Greetings,

Welcome to that blog that talks about why we artists paint the way we do!
Today is my day to be the featured artist on the Daily Palette, and if being featured, doesn't inspire you all the way down the hall to the studio, then nothing will :)
Feel free to click on that link. I'm outta' here :)

Later, Cooper

Daily Painting At The Cooper Studio

Greetings,

I love days like this one! The sun is shining and I found a ten dollar bill laying on the sidewalk. Yay for me! It happened because I needed storefronts.

Let me explain: the next Boulder musicians painting is on the easel. It's a street scene, but the focus is the people, not the stores. However. I am having a hard time deciding if those stores should look like stores, or if they should be vague. I realized I needed to look at some stores, so trusty HP camera in one hand, and the blond one's (yes, that would be Olliver, aka golden retriever) leash in the other, we set off for downtown Spencer. We had a grand old time taking pictures, with our last photo opportunity being the hotel. One good hotel picture, the camera batteries died, and I found the $10 laying right there on the sidewalk. Perfect!

Now, if I could just decide about those storefronts in this painting. Maybe tomorrow.


Later, Cooper

Daily Painting, Ice Cream And Salad

Greetings,

It's a beautiful Friday morning right after an interesting Thursday! Thursday started at 5:37am with a rafter-rattling lightning strike, the kind that almost knocks you out of bed :) Coupled with the fact that said lightning/thunder caused the dog to come unglued and try to climb into bed, well, we were all set up for unusual!

So as I was stumbling about the kitchen trying to make coffee, with a dog (remember, this is an oversized golden retriever) cowering about my feet, I happened to glance at some grapes sitting in a bowl, and it suddenly occurred to me that I really ought to paint them. And so I did :)

And I kept right on going! A little more paint slinging on the ice cream stand painting, and two new canvases blocked in as well. There is a new Boulder musicians painting coming, and a painting of a playground with children reading and playing.

And tonight is the artist's reception/opening for the A.R.T. exhibit at Arts On Grand. It appears to be another busy day in the making.

Later, Cooper

What Makes Artists Paint The Way They Do?

Greetings!

What makes artists paint the way they do? Here's a top ten answer for you: when you get the post card in the mail announcing the show you're going to be in and everything is not quite ready yet----!

I believe the follow-up phrase is fasterFASTER.

Later, Cooper

acrylic painting and sketch books

Greetings! And happy Monday, um, I mean Wednesday to you!

Yeah, I threw out the calendar page for this week, it's all messed up in my head anyway, and today really does feel like Monday! I have been out to Longmont (Colorado) to help with a new grandbaby! Arridian James Cooper, and a handsome young'n he is. (duh, of course!) We will get that picture posted pronto!

And because it's time to get back to some semblance of work now, I was reading work related emails and found this rather interesting bit: Empty Easel has an article about using your blog as a sketch book. Seems to me I have been doing that already, but sometimes feeling a bit guilty about it. I am of the vein that sketch books are for ideas and not needing to look like perfection-honed works of art (read: my sketch books are scribble-y) At any rate, now somebody has gone and given me guilt-freedom in posting any messy sketch book page I want. whoody-ha. On that note, sketch book pages from a recent studio session:

Later, Cooper

Acrylic Painting, Studio Model

Howdy,

Welcome to Spencer, Iowa, where the sky is a smidgen bit gray and probably causing concern at the Clay County Fair, also known as the nation's largest and best county fair. Sunny skies just generally work better for fair goers. Tommorrow I will be one of those. Arts On Grand plays host at the Art Barn at the Clay County Fair, and I will be an able volunteer there on both Thursday and Friday of this week. Stop by if you're in town :)

On the easel: (wow, look, I need to number them!)

1. An ice cream stand painting. It's got no name yet, but the scenario runs with a crowd of people standing in front of a streetside ice cream stand, all waiting their turn. That alone was enough to encourage the painter in me to get to work. The clincher will be if I can manage to get at least one of the giant inflatable ice cream cones that were swinging in the breeze included in the composition. This painting is blocked in in very messy fashion, but I can feel their attitudes when I look at these vaguely rendered folks, so I am pretty sure I am on the right trail. That image will go on my daily painting blog, where I show stages of paintings. But here's a quick peek of where I was:

2. Then, as promised to the many people who saw and enjoyed 'Wild Street Music' at Artsplash in Sioux City, Labor Day weekend, there's another one coming. The next painting inspired by those Boulder, Colorado musicians is still in the drawing stages, but it's going to be fun. At first I thought the stars of the painting were going to be two slightly ragtag musicians, but they just might be getting upstaged. Enter the hound dog and a guy with long blond dreds, who are apparently ardent fans.

3. Last night was spent at the studio at the Pearson Lakes Art Center, where our group of artists meet to paint with a model. I always say I love books that end with the heroes living 'happily ever after' :) I am beginning to wonder if that's a glitch, or maybe (hopefully) a key structual point of my personality. I am beginning to feel like I am painting happily ever after into my paintings lately. Our model last night was perfectly cheerful and always great to work with, but for this pose was not smiling. No matter, because look at that light and airy spring green that ended up around her. (The blue is another painting hanging on the wall) In reality the wall is that awful greybeige that people put on their walls to hide the fact that (1) they are scared of color or (2)they have been told that greybeige is a lovely statement for their environs. Give me a break. But I digress. On this specific studio painting, you have to ignore the fact that I succumbed to that terrible artist disease, where you get home from studio, it's late, you look at the canvas, it's late, but you suddenly see something that needs fixed, and it's late but you go ahead and get a brush out anyway. THAT is what is wrong with her hands. But I think I can fix it :) yet.

Later, Cooper

Shut The Windows! And It's Time For Pumpkin Paintings

Good morning,

and happy Wednesday to you! Welcome to Spencer, Iowa where we had a balmy 44 degrees when the alarm went off this morning. No big deal, EXCEPT every window in the house was open! By my calculations, 44 degrees is a mere dozen from frost. We shut all the windows on the first floor, the weather guy promised we'd like them open this afternoon.

And with that, I am coloring up this post with two pumpkin paintings. Yes, they are last fall's pumpkins. I have been by my favorite pumpkin patch and noted they are ready, but haven't had a minute to stop in. Note to self: must make that happen soon :) With no further ado, two pumpkin paintings:

Still Life With Two Pumpkins, 24 x 30 inches, acrylic on canvas http://karencooperpaintings.com/

Pie and Coffee, 20 x 24 inches, acrylic on canvas, http://karencooperpaintings.com/

Thanks for stopping by.

Later, Cooper