acrylic painting 'Flower Shopping In Red', January 31st, 2008

Howdy,
Well the sun is pink on the horizon. I can see it through frost free windows, not because it warmed up today, but only because the office managed to catch a few rays at just the right angle!
Hey, we think flower shopping is finished. It has an official name: 'Flower Shopping In Red'. It's chronicle of coming to be is on the project blog.
When I am at the project blog and refering to the posts at this site I claim that this is the journal of why painters do what they do (meaning this painter). Today while standing at the easel, poised and ready to break a rule, I had one of those ah-hah moments. I decided it came as a result of the bad habit I have of spreading stuff in a circle on the floor around me and in true journeling form, look:









It's called creative mess! Ok, here is the real image: 'Flower Shopping In Red' Enjoy!
Later, Cooper

'flower shopping' painting, January 31st, 2008

Greetings!

Hey, the sun is shining on Spencer, Iowa this morning! Now, if I could just position it to melt the frost coating off the office windows! (summer's coming, summer's coming)

Yesterday I took a 'carpool' of art work to Worthington, Minnesota. The A.R.T. (northwest Iowa artist's road trip) group is having a show at the Nobles County art center. The art center is a nice space in the Worthington library building (407 12th street), with areas for rotating exhibits as well as a permanent collection. They seem to focus on local and regional art and have some really interesting pieces to look at. Also of note to those of you who reside in that area of the country, there is an opening reception this Sunday, February 3rd, from 2:00 - 4:00. So what a great opportunity: you can return your overdue library books and look at some interesting art all in one trip :)

This blog entry title alludes to painting and I have been at it more than recent posts would allow you to believe. The 'flower shopping' painting (not it's real name we assume) is becoming more interesting, despite it all. I have a Kevin Macpherson book home from the library, and when you contrast that with a Margaret Dyer tutorial from an online magazine, that I have now read at least ten times, well, yeah, despite it all. I am eager to go spread some more paint on this thing, so I will postpone telling you about the library influences, but not too long.

So, here's 'flower shopping' stage five. And I just realized this blog has no mention of stages one through four, oops. They are posted here. Time to go paint now!

Later, Cooper

Thursday night studio painting

Good morning!

So it's January 28th, that means Monday, and I've finally made it to a space to upload last Thursday's studio painting for you. We don't even want to think about what that means for this week's schedule :)

About the model, he had his right foot propped up on a milk crate, and for some reason, every time I put a bit of paint on it, it get's larger, which has created a rather bizarre look to the whole thing. Yes, I suppose it would help to actually paint the crate (and put a floor under the poor guy---what a novel concept, eh?) But I am actually feeling a bit bizarre myself this morning, so I believe this guy will get propped up in the corner of the studio so I can look at it now and then and be reminded that imperfection can sometimes be curiously interesting. Have a lovely day!

Later, Cooper

Late Lunch At The Wharf, acrylic painting, January 25th, 2008

Hello everybody,

If you have been reading my weather whining, and watching the weather-results summer wharf painting, well then, I have an update for you.

The temperature warmed up to about 18 degrees today. The 15 degree-minimum-dog and I went out for a good, long walk. I wore the embarrassing snowmobile suit and it was almost too warm, amazing!

And the wharf painting has a name, but no signature yet. But if you bop over to the project blog, and read that chronicle of this painting, :) we are probably calling it done. So here it is, 'Late Lunch At The Wharf', acrylic painting on heavy gessoed paper, 21 x 17 inches.

Later, Cooper

Summer in the studio! acrylic painting, the wharf

Hello everybody!

If they choose one of those 'sister cities' for Spencer, Iowa, I'm pretty sure it will be up past the Arctic Circle. At noon, we were parked at 6 pathetic degrees and counting. Unfortunately, we are counting down. Who needs a northwest clipper when it's already 6 degrees?!

Bah humbug, I'm painting summer today. This painting is lolling at a lovely 87 degrees, yes! I will upload the most recent photo for you, but there are two more on the project blog as well.

Later, Cooper

daily paint, acrylic painting, January 21st, 2008

Howdy!

It's bloomin' cold in this town today! (Spencer, Iowa) I have a warm painting to show you, so hopefully that will help. I finished this (sort of) this morning, January 21st, 2008. It was started at open studio (Pearson Lakes Art Center) last Thursday night. It seemed like a good piece to begin on this morning as I have been paint-free for three days.

We had a great trip to Colorado. The Denver Museum of Art, a great little Greek restaurant, two questionable card games (Brent won both of them), but best of all, time with our Colorado kids. They have a new house, and it was nice to see them there---it's my THE MOM-hangup, where I always feel better if I can visualize them in their space:) And a very nice one it is, they even have a nifty little enclosed hot tub in the back yard. We opened the side doors so we could watch it snow while we mellowed in all that nice hot water:) Whoever dreamed up such a crazy concept was really a genius. Ok, here's the painting, acrylic painting on canvas, 16 x 20 inches, Studio Model Reading.

Later, Cooper

Painting

Hello everybody,

I just stopped by to let you know I am NOT in hibernation, although the temperature is Spencer, Iowa today would encourage that pastime. We are settled at a balmy 1 degree, and that's with the sun shining! Ollie and I tried to go for a run yesterday. Ten year old Golden Retrievers are only good to about 1o degrees, I've discovered. We only got about three blocks before his legs cramped and we had to mince our way back home. sigh (summer's coming, summer's coming)

On the painting front, if you want to bop over to my project blog, that will tell you the whole story, with photos, no less. In a nutshell, I spent the whole week on a canvas that last night was removed from the stretcher and put in the trash. Sorry, but sometimes these things happen. When your thinking and brush work in tandem, and one of them gets muddled---well, there you are. At any rate, the junior and I are flying to Longmont, via Denver this afternoon. We have not been to Brian and Lynn's (eldest son and daughterinlaw) for too long. Today is the day, but the bad news is Wayne can't go. I will take him out there this summer:)

Later, Cooper

new webzine for artists

Good morning,

I am stopping by the 'office machinery' quick before going in to paint. By the way, the view out my office windows this morning is stunning. As they are second floor windows, I see treetops and rooftops, and today they have a very gentle covering of fresh white snow. By now you know I could live quite well without the stuff, but today I am here to say that this edition is lovely!

First, I want to share that I am almost now permanently shaped like our office chair, as most of yesterday was spent working on my first 'artist newsletter'. It will be an email version, and if you'd like to see a copy, add yourself to the email subscribers on my website. Easy to do, just click on the 'email newsletter' on the front page menu.

Second, I want to bring your attention to a new webzine for artists. It's located at http://createbetterpaintings.com/ . I will confess to seeing the advance notice several weeks ago, putting my name in, and telling myself I can always cancel after seeing the first edition. So guess what, I just visited paypal to make the subscription official. I was extremely pleased with the first issue. Five featured artists include Mary Alice Brackman, Margaret Dyer, Susan Lyon, Misty Martin, and Robert Moore, including tutorials-yes! A person could spend a lot of time there! I recommend you stop by to see it.

Ok, time to go spread some paint around!

Later, Cooper

daily paint, January 9th, 2008, cafe scene painting 'Casual Dining'

Greetings,

January 9th, 2008 is a cool one in Spencer, Iowa. The weather guys told me 19 degrees this morning, but we're headed for summer, right?!

I signed the cafe scene painting, and it has a name as well. 'Casual Dining' It's 15 x 15 inches, an acrylic painting on heavy gessoed paper. And here (hopefully) is the link to it's beginning look.

Later, Cooper

I've added it to my website as well, available there with paypal.

http://karencooperpaintings.com/

life drawing group

Good morning and happy Tuesday to you!

I decided to stop by quick before heading in to paint. Our life drawing group met at studio last night after a month long hiatus. It was good to see painting friends again, and we had a good session of work as well. We work for about two hours, with the time normally broken into segments of quick gesture drawings (one or two minutes on each pose), a couple of poses held slightly longer (five or ten minutes) and then the remainder of the session is spent on one long pose. The gesture drawings are designed to loosen up and focus, but ironically, they sometimes turn out better than the long pose. Last night was one of those nights:) Here are a two minute and a ten minute, ----the long pose has already been 'gifted' to the garbage man!

Now it's time to go sling some daily paint.

Later, Cooper

daily paint, January 7th, 2008

Hello!

Happy Monday! Our painting group is actually going to paint tonight, yea! We basically took off the month of December, which seemed like a long time. One of our group who has been out with nasty health issues, is feeling well enough today to try for at least part of a session's work. That is really good news for all of us!

Today's daily paint still went to the cafe scene, but it's beginning to feel like the home stretch. We will see what tomorrow brings.

Later, Cooper

daily paint, January 3rd, 2008---caucus day!

Greetings all!

So Iowa gets to set the country straight tonight :) Yeah, right. I am planning on being a good little Iowan and doing the caucus thing. My caucusing will be of the preventative nature, and that will be enough said about that, however, you may read between the lines if you wish:)

The weather did abate slightly today. Ollie and I again waited till midafternoon to get out, but instead of the ugly snowmobile suit, I wore running shoes. Yea! Actually they are one of the sizes of soccer cleats that Brent wore for about one season before outgrowing, so I adopted them. Hey, he didn't wear them long enough to do any major damage to them, and they do well on snow/slush.

I painted all day today but didn't get far. And I'm already annoyed with a couple things that will need fixed right away in the morning. Why is it I see things like that better after they've been photo'd and onto the screen? Sheesh.


Later, Cooper

daily paint, January 2nd, 2008

Hey there,

So do we suppose it's going to warm up any time soon? Ollie and I timed our 'daily' for the warmest hour we could find, but that wasn't much. The resident 16 year old is embarrassed when THE MOM wears the old snowmobile suit to walk the dog, but hey, today I valued warmth over the fashion sensabilities of a high school junior:) We are talking minus 4 degrees in Spencer, Iowa today folks.



We are trying to get back on schedule, and tomorrow Brent heads back to school, so I should be interruption-free! I managed to squeeze some painting time in anyway. Today's daily paint was spread on and about a painting started last week. The lady in red was 'a bit snooty of gaze' today, so it absorbed quite a bit of time to 'find her' in a better mood. (yes, those are all valid art terms) Okay, and now uploading today's view:

Later, Cooper