karen cooper - Blog: Buddy Holly retro exhibit @ Clear Lake

Melting Ice Cubes With Some Beach

by Cooper on 1/23/2010 9:08:30 AM2 Comments

Greetings,

Welcome to the Cooper studio on a lovely January morning in Jefferson, Iowa. Ok, so I lie. It's not really lovely. Possibly you've heard about the ice layer we're dealing with here? We have ice cubes, lots of them. As yet another Alliant Energy truck with it's emergency flashers on drives by my house, and the power line out by the street gets closer and closer to the ground? Yes, I am one of the lucky ones whose power line is at least still up in the air. In contrast to those laying on the ground. So I should not be whining. BUT. What a bloomin' mess. And it's raining.

And you wonder why I am painting sunny beach images?! We must remain optimistic! Yes, we must!

These beach images are already out in the world. The Clear Lake Art Center, Clear Lake, Iowa, is again hosting a Buddy Holly party, and I am having an artistic presence there. (a couple of links to give you the details about BuddyHolly at the CLAC here and here) So a pair of my own "retro" from the Cooper painting archives, and these two new little beach paintings, designed with a 1959 flair are my contribution to the event. All four paintings are available at the Clear Lake Art Center, through the month of February.

Beach Babes, an acrylic painting on a sunny little 12 x 12 inch canvas.

Beach Party, an acrylic painting, also on one of those perfect little 12 x 12 inch canvases.

Thanks for stopping by.

Later, Cooper

And to prove that I never exaggerate (!) here's a photo taken in front of my husband's office yesterday. Yes, those big ice cubes with little stems on the bottom have trees inside them.

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Daily Painting Buddy Holley Retro

by Cooper on 12/30/2008 2:22:14 PMComment on this

Greetings,
Welcome to my daily painting place. Today I discovered I need a new camera. The little HP has been quite trustworthy. However. The resident high schooler received a Nikon Coolpix for his Christmas present. I borrowed it for today's "progress" photo shoot. Unfortunately, at the same time, I took a pic with said trustworthy HP, just for comparison. Case closed. There is no comparison. But pleases, let's not give HP too much product quality grief. It took lovely pictures when it was brand-spankin' new. It's battle scars include a few rapid descents to harder than recommended surfaces. Do you suppose that's why the lens cover is not nearly so automatic? :) Enough with the techno stuff. On to the art stuff.

Today's daily paint landed on the dance painting, which is beginning to take on that "I'm almost finished" glow. I love when that happens. Both of the paintings I'm posting today are headed for the Clear Lake Art Center on Friday. I know I keep mentioning the Buddy Holley show at the Clear Lake Arts Center, well, these are part of it. And I know I promised to write more about that here, but why repeat? It's already on my journal blog :)

As for the paintings:

Date Night Candy Floss is an acrylic painting on a gallery wrapped canvas that measures a lovely 30 x 30 inches. It's signed (yes!) and waiting for a layer of varnish, and something to hang it from.
(1/23/2010 update! The wall behind this couple now matches her purse! How do these things happen?!)

Dance Little Sister (we just figured out that title, do you like it?) is an acrylic painting on a 24 x 30 inch gallery wrapped canvas. Not signed yet, and at the risk of fussing, it has just a couple of places that need (ahem) adjustment. Update at eleven.

Later, Cooper

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