Daily Painting, February 5th, 2008, Acrylic Painting "Mums On The Table"

Howdy,

Welcome to my journal blog this February 5th, 2008. It's still winter today in Spencer, Iowa, but I am going to hold off the whining as the weather reports for southeast of here (Des Moines etc.) are growing ugly! But for the meantime, how about a still life painting of mums? Note the window with actual green stuff outside instead of the brown sticks that are currently masquerading outside my window as trees :)

acrylic painting 'Mums On The Table', 15 x 15 inches, acrylic on gessoed paper

I have been painting and reading about painting. What a combination, huh? I promised a few days ago to give you a written opinion of the then current book authored by Kevin Macpherson, but since have polished off an additional book by Gregg Kreutz, and a good magazine article on Margaret Dyer (from a new e-zine: www.createbetterpaintings.com) that will probably have to be included in that written opinion. It's kind of interesting to absorb three artist's 'rules of painting' in that small an amount of time. It would seem that when work from all three artists can appeal to one person (me), they are all well known artists, and they are all sharing their theories, that some of them would overlap, right? I am rereading to discover commenalities, but so far they are few!

On the project blog, I have several images of 'starts' or paintings with just the big shapes blocked in--yeah, one of the aforementioned authors recommends practicing that. One a day, was the presciption, ---kind of sounds like vitamins, and hopefully it will have a similar effect! Ok, time to get back to work.

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/

daily paint, November 26th, 2007

Happy Monday to you!

So this is regroup day: back to some semblance of painting; turkey casserole for dinner:); and life drawing group back on schedule. This morning I took care of the first, #2 and 3 are yet to come today.

So with the article I just wrote about daily paint versus daily painting practice, http://coopkja.blogspot.com/2007/11/sideways-look-at-daily-paint.html still looming in the background I might have discovered yet another facet that I omitted from the article:) Is it the acomplishment of 'a painting a day', practice every day, or getting back into motion after a holiday?!

At any rate, a few items were needed at the grocery store this morning. I ran over there before going to the studio, and speeding past the produce counter, I spied a pear with a quirky stem, which is pear language for "paint me". So a quick pear study, 'One Pear, Blue Bowl", 15 x 15 inches, acrylic painting on heavy gessoed paper.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cooper

daily paint, October 11th, 2007

Greetings!

So it's a seasonal kind of atmospheric grey day in northwest Iowa, but seasons are good for us, and the yellow leaves hanging on the trees outside my window are just lovely. My only problem is a vehicle that needs picked up at the mechanic's shop about an easy one mile bike ride north of here, and trying to decide if I need to wear one sweatshirt or two:)

Daily paint for today: 'Zoned Out', an acrylic painting on heavy gessoed paper, finished up from a LakesArtCenter studio session.

It's about 15 x 15 inches. I will zip over to my website and put an image of the painting there as well. Thanks for looking!

Later, Cooper

daily paint, September 25, 2007

Hello,

The sun is starting to peak through the clouds that carried over from last night's friendly little rain in northwest Iowa. It's not too shabby a day, I think.

I have a painting for you. "Must Be Reading Spring Came On Forever" is an acrylic painting on heavy gessoed paper. (and a good book it is too) Enjoy!

Later, Karen

daily paint, September 21, 2007

Hello again,

So, about that solo green bean, will you settle for three? Daily paint for today, September 21, 2007:

3 Beans, acrylic painting on heavy gessoed paper, 15 x 15 inches.

And yes, as a matter of fact, life has been pretty busy this week. It seemed like the right thing to do to focus in on something simple and uncluttered. It was fun---hope you enjoy looking at it!

Later, Karen



yes, yes, I know, I've already posted the roma tomato once before, but I couldn't resist putting it up next to the green beans---makes me feel kind of Italian :)

Daily painting, September 3, 2007

Hello and happy Monday to you!

It's a great one in northwest Iowa, sunny, warm, a nice breeze and a holiday!

I have been painting bowls full of tomatoes, in fact, I have a large canvas with that subject matter on the easel right now. I plan to have it done in time to take it to the West End Art Festival this coming weekend, September 7th, 8th, and 9th. But this morning, after Ollie and I had finished our run and I was well into my pot of coffee, one single, solitary, all-by-itself kind of tomato said 'paint me' in a loud way. So here it is, "A Sideways Look At A Roma Tomato". Actually: to-may-to, to-mah-to? I think this one is a toMAHto.

Later, Cooper

daily painting: Rudbeckia

Howdy!

Yesterday we had a very brief lull in our midwest monsoon. Poor Ollie, who is scared of lightning and expecially thunder (but won't admit it) was desperate to get out. So we put walking shoes on me and a leash on Ollie and headed towards the hospital campus to see how the new park is progressing. Answer: muddy and slower.

At any rate, we spyed some really stunning Rudbeckia, some people say coneflower. Even with the excuse of being an artist needing "models", it's hard to justify a five-finger-discount from a hospital flowerbed, so I resorted to the trusty camera. The result is a color sketch painting on heavy paper, the kind where I try to keep my time involvement minimal. I worked on it last night, and still thought it needed more TLC today. But it's signed now and ready to upload.

Later, Cooper

daily painting, with thunder and lightning

Hello from the middle of monsoon season in northwest Iowa!

Oh yeah, that's right, we don't have monsoon season in Iowa, it just feels like it! But you have to admit, 6 inches in 3 days is quite a bit. I know it's not nearly as much as some people have gotten, but I think about all that time I spent watering the garden and lawn during July and early August and I feel slightly ridiculous. But yes, the lawn is green, and we are enjoying great vegetables! Which leads me to the next item:

Today's painting. No, the aforementioned commissioned painting is not quite done, but it's close, and I needed a break from it, so today we had this bowl full of tomatoes sitting on the kitchen counter just screaming to be painted, and here it is. "Large Blue Bowl Of Excessively Ripe Tomatoes"

Also, Arts In The Park At Arnolds Park, will be on for this Saturday, August 25th. The weather guys are promising sunshine for the weekend, so we'll have visual artists on one half of the park and musical artists (blues fest) on the other half of the park. What a deal! See you there!

Later, Karen

daily painting

Hello!

Yes, I have been painting daily---lots of green and white. Someone before our time painted the office in our home mud green and put a golf print wall paper border on it. That's just wrong, and I can't imagine why we have been living in this house for a year and a half and I just now got around to fixing it. So yeah, four days of daily painting---green walls, white trim. The trim was the killer. A wall full of built in shelves, which required a coat of primer and two coats of latex, because they were the lovely mud green and it was a bear to get coverage over. Then when we moved the computer back in, of course, the internet refused to work. We discovered our internet provider and our computer doctor do NOT like each other and in the middle of them was an annoying and time consuming place to be. There's still something wrong with the internet, I had to clear out and then reload our IP address to get here, but I'm here and getting stuff done, so do you want me to quit whining now? I'm sure!

I have a new painting to show you. It's about 15 x 15 inches, on heavy paper, called Tomato Picker. (Yes, the garden is ripening nicely)

daily painting

Good morning!

Wow, a breezy, sunny, 68 degree July day in northwest Iowa! Who could ask for better? It also sounds like a good reason to paint outside instead of in the studio today!

But first a daily painting (painted yesterday, photographed today) for you to enjoy. It's a still life color sketch titled 'First Fruit", 15 x 15 inches, acrylic on heavy paper. Normally the zucchini or tomato plants are the first to yield in my garden. This year it's the eggplant. Paint it yesterday, eat it today! What a system, huh? Yummy, yummy!

Later, Karen