Blog

Whirlwind, Survived

by Cooper on 12/7/2009 10:01:20 PMComment on this

Greetings,

Welcome to the Cooper studio. I am here, post-blog-vacation, to let you know that I survived the most recent, albeit self-imposed, whirlwind.

The finale of the art show season is almost always the University of Iowa Thieves Art Market. This year was not an exception. I had a painting that needed to be done....... You get the picture.

But! It was so very worth it. A wealth of patrons with lovely complementary words, as well as patrons with Visa cards. Who could ask for a better season end? Thank you Iowa Cityians, one and all.

As for the painting that caused me to be AWOL from writing here, you ask? It's varnish dried just in time for it to make the trip to Iowa City, AND it found a family in Iowa City as well! I love when that happens.

The bad news is the good camera was at college on the only possible afternoon for a photo-shoot. We tried with the handy little HP, but results are minimal. Bear with me, I'll post what little of the painting we captured, so you can at least get an idea of what I was working on so studiously:

Curb Side Parking, an acrylic painting on canvas, measuring an ample 36 x 42 inches. The main part of the image the HP messed up was of course, the value structure. The shadowed area of the porch is really significantly darker with more violet. The sidewalk area in the real painting is much lighter, and kind of salmon colored. So I enlist you to use your imagination in that department. And no worries anyway, it's new owners seem quite pleased :) After all, they have the original!

Later, Cooper

Comment on or Share this Article >>

Fireworks, Or At Least Some Applause?

by Cooper on 11/24/2009 3:48:46 PMComment on this

Greetings,

Welcome to the Cooper studio, on a rainy Jefferson, Iowa day. We even had thunder during the night! But the temperature remains ABOVE freezing, so yea for that!

Now. About that title up there: Fireworks, Or At Least Some Applause. I am trying to give myself a good review here. Is that even legal? Better yet, who cares? Way back in April of 2007, I ended up with some photos that I knew needed to develop into a painting, and yes, dated photos, so definitely April 2007. Uh huh, it's taken that long. So the next time you are at an art show and feel compelled to ask the question, "how long did that take you?", you are now prepared to soak in any sort of answer. There are paintings out there that can be painted in a day, and then there are those that take two and a half years.

And as I write this, it just occurred to me that I have to go sign this one yet. But it's photo-d, and logged into my inventory file. So at long last, we are calling it complete. I think I will go put on a pot of coffee, and celebrate a little. This one makes me feel pretty successful. Maybe I can even give myself a little applause :)

Friend, acrylic painting on an impressive 40 x 40 inch canvas. The exact trouble with a 40 x 40 inch canvas is that you need to see it in person, the real painting, not just an image on your computer screen. Yes, I think it's impressive on the computer screen, but you should see it in person. Dare I say, that you would have to stop for a while in front of this one. Hey wait, some of you can do that! I am planning on having this one at exhibit at the University Of Iowa Thieves Market, during the weekend of December 5th and 6th. University of Iowa Memorial Union, in Iowa City, Iowa.

Later, Cooper

Comment on or Share this Article >>

Just Left Of Tradition

by Cooper on 9/26/2009 6:34:38 PMComment on this

Greetings,

Welcome to the Cooper studio, where we are all packed to go to the Octagon Art Festival in Ames, Iowa, tomorrow, bright and early!

But. That's not what this post is about. Rather, I think I mentioned in the title something like "just left of tradition". You might remember I have been thinking about parades lately, probably due to a series of photos I took at Spencer, Iowa's Flagfest parade this past June, and the first painting resulting there of. A parade, marching band complete, has to be one of America's best traditions. Load one onto "Flagest" weekend, and what more can you ask for?

But have you ever seen a painting of such an event? Let me guess, the "flagfest parade" in your painting had rosy cheeked, blue eyed babies with curly blond hair all tied up in pink ribbons, right? I am pretty sure that's why I was so drawn to the sight of this family sitting across the street of the parade route from us. Not your typically painted American family at the parade, but ever so much more interesting, in their determination to build on the age old tradition.

Thanks for stopping by.

Oh, I guess I'd better add the photo :)

I Love A Parade, acrylic painting on a 30 x 30 inch gallery wrapped canvas, available in my portfolio, of course. Don't you just hope that lots of paraders threw candy for the little girl to catch and that her bag got really full?!

Later, Cooper

Comment on or Share this Article >>

Slo-ooow Parade

by on 9/24/2009 9:23:41 PMComment on this

Greetings,

Welcome to the Cooper studio, Jefferson, Iowa, on the second day of fall. Regarding fall, so far, so good :)

Today's daily paint again landed on the "parade" canvas. I vaguely remember this parade that happened last June was kind of a slow one. The Shriners in their silly cars did lots of rev'em up manuevers. The politicians shaking hands along the parade route, lagged way behind their respective convertibles. Heck, even the goof driving the Bikes, Boards and Blades truck down the parade route stopped in front of us for several minutes. And he didn't even have any candy to throw at the kids! (yes, it's legal for me to say that--the owners were of course riding the parade route on bikes, their employee (Cooper-the-younger) was driving the shop truck.)

Anyway, slow parade. Even the painting of it is moving along pretty slowly. There have been a few personal trials (did you know when you react to an antibiotic it can take 2-4 days for the itchy red rash to go away?) (by the way, today is day 4, I still itch but it is getting better) But. I painted most of the day today, and it felt good. And most of the paint landed where it was supposed to. Sort of. After dinner tonight, I came back out to the studio to "assess" and discovered that the window right next to the easel has a multitude of white splatter. Darn. Would you like to see where the painting is so far?

It's got a ways to go yet. Like what is that glaring white triangle doing right there on the dad's shoulder? And the little girl really needs a face lift. The background is mud. Ha! At least I won't be at a loss for what to do in the morning! Thanks for stopping by.

Later, Cooper

Comment on or Share this Article >>

What About A Parade?

by Cooper on 9/17/2009 8:52:53 PMComment on this

Greetings,

Welcome to the Cooper studio. So what about a parade? Does it smack of the traditional for you?

And what is it about a marching band that can bring tears to your eyes? The good kind. Happy tears. Maybe I'm the only one with the problem? Can't be.

Does it happen because of the history of the parade? And has there ever been a good parade that doesn't have at least one marching band? I am admittedly one of those people who has to wave back when someone on a float waves. I clap for the flag corp, and I cheer for the band. Yeah, and my eyes mist over too. If it happens to be one of those parades where people throw candy for the kids to catch, I make sure I catch a couple, too. I love a parade. I know, that's been said before, and to music even.

In fact that music has been running through my head while I'm working out the current easel occupant. Spencer, Iowa is host to Flagfest every June, and it comes with a very nice parade. This past June we sat right across the street from the most interesting family. I had the camera with me, of course, got multiple shots, and now they are coming together for a great painting. I can already tell---sometimes you have to work with the canvas before it starts to feel right---no bragging---but this one felt right the moment I put the brush on it.

Nope, I don't have a photo of the canvas yet, but I have something to put you in the mood! Isn't it grand?!

Later, Cooper

Comment on or Share this Article >>

10am-ish

by Cooper on 9/11/2009 4:56:59 PM1 Comment

Greetings,

Welcome to the Cooper studio. Regarding yesterday's promise for an image about 10am---well, I'll bet it's 10am somewhere. Just not in Jefferson, Iowa, as we speak.

But here's the work:

We are temporarily calling it geranium study. With my glasses off, it looks ready to sign, but I had to put my glasses on for the camera and decided otherwise :)

Regarding the (ahem) model, it's one of my sanity geraniums. While we were still at Spencer, Iowa, wondering when the house was going to sell, and when the great relocation to Jefferson, Iowa, was going to happen, there were some dubious moments where I was ready (almost) to walk away from it all. The alternative was to go out and pamper my pots of geraniums. On really dubious days, I made a trip out to buy a new one for the collection :) And when the time came, we moved the WHOLE collection. They seem to like living in Jefferson, and there are multiple good windows in our new/old house where they can overwinter. Have I mentioned we bought a 1901 craftsmen bungalow? It's a charmer and will be even more so once we get rid of the 70's vintage carpets! Avocado and rusty gold shag---woohoo.

Later, Cooper

ps. Tomorrow I am at Artapalooza in downtown Cedar Falls, Iowa. Stop by if you are in town!

Comment on or Share this Article >>

Stepping Out

by on 9/10/2009 9:18:39 PMComment on this

Greetings,

Welcome to the Cooper studio. What a beautiful, and unusual day. I painted a still life today. Me, the person addicted to painting people, painted a still life. Wow. See, I told you it was an unusual day. In reality, purists would disallow it as a still life. It's a pot of geraniums that I cropped the view of pretty seriously. I wanted to paint it at eye level so I actually put a shelf up by my easel, at just the right height for that. And yes, the shelf does look a bit odd from a decorator point of view, but it's functional. Sometimes we must make sacrifices :)

I couldn't quite go cold turkey. I also started a little 12 x 12 canvas of a musician I saw earlier this summer. Her swingy green dress is turning out to be red, so it should be fun :)

But the day got away from me, and it's already dark, and with that, the photo opportunity of today's work is gone. We'll see if that can happen tomorrow. Check back in at about 10am-ish.

Later, Cooper

Comment on or Share this Article >>

Paintpaintpaint

by Cooper on 7/21/2009 11:54:28 AM1 Comment

Greetings,

And welcome to the Cooper studio on a beautiful July morning in Spencer, Iowa.

I have two paintings for you to enjoy this morning. In no apparent order, here we go:

Where Shall We Sit? (July 4th At The Park), an acrylic painting on canvas, measuring 20 x 20 inches. It is available in my portfolio, of course!

Park Event, (Hurry, They're Starting!), also an acrylic painting on canvas, this one measuring a perfect 12 x 12 inches. And for your continued viewing pleasure, available in my portfolio, as well. Thanks for stopping by.

Later, Cooper

Comment on or Share this Article >>

Cooper, on painting, blog

CooperStudio newsletter signup

Contact Karen

Links To Recent Audio Newsletters

Follow this Blog

20 hours
about painting
acrylic painting
acrylic painting original painting
and learning
and other stuff
art and the computer
art marketing
art marketing and website images
art marketing website images
art materials
Art On The Prairie
art opinion
artistic vision
attitude realignment
audio newsletter
being organized
bicycle paintings
book review
booth slide
Buddy Holly retro exhibit @ Clear Lake
business cards
cafe scene paintings
cameras
Clear Lake Art Center
Clear Lake Art Sail
commissions
communication
composing a painting
critique
daily painting
daily painting acrylic painting
definitions!
Dundee Gallery Omaha
FASO
FASO painting competition painting the figure
figurative painting
Galex 44
giclees
Iowa Bicycle Festival
Krasl ArtFair on the Bluff
Lakeville Mn Art Festival
Life drawing
link to Newsweek article
moving
national bicycle month
newsletter
Octagon art center
original acrylic painting daily paint on the project blog
painting the figure
painting with emotion
PCI compliance
photos
pricing a painting
QR code
RAGBRAI
reproductions
running
size of canvas
still life painting
the art fair artist
the latest scam?
The Queen
the summer art fair
Thieves Market
title your painting
Top five ways to ruin your artistic presence online
value scale gray scale
website rx
WineBar Art Gallery
Works of Arts for the State Parks�An Endeavor for the Endowment
workshop
WPA mural
writing a blog post
writing a newsletter

Artist Websites by FineArtStudioOnline
Mobile Site | iPhone Site | Regular Site