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Present

by karen cooper on 3/31/2010 8:42:01 AM1 Comment

Greetings,

Welcome to the Cooper studio, Jefferson, Iowa. 57 degrees at 8:43am. Can't beat that. The post title alludes to me being present. In the studio. Ha. I am going for a run. Way too great a morning not to. Then we will paint.

And I have been. Here's something for you to look at:

Waiting For Sunset, acrylic painting on a lovely little 12 x 12 inch canvas. And it's in my portfolio, of course. Maybe I will come back and paste the link in here for you later, but right now, I'm outta here!

Later, Cooper

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Surely There's A Name For That Condition

by Cooper on 3/29/2010 6:55:00 PMComment on this

Greetings,

Welcome to the Cooper studio, Jefferson, Iowa. Spring. Ha! We got it!

And when I tell people how it affects my painting, they look at me out of the corner of their eye. Quizzically. A few look at me straight on. Dubiously.

But look what I found today. There really is a name for that condition. (come on, aren't all conditions named by now?) So, here we go: Seasonal affective disorder. (SAD)

Overview

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a form of depression that occurs in relation to the seasons, most commonly beginning in WINTER. (duh)

Symptoms

Afternoon slumps with decreased energy and concentration
Carbohydrate cravings
Decreased interest in work or other activities
Depression that starts in fall or winter (I think "when the snow starts" needs to be interjected here)
Increased appetite with weight gain
Increased sleep and excessive daytime sleepiness
Lack of energy
Slow, sluggish, lethargic movement
Social withdrawal (hey, the traditional Iowa blizzard makes this one mandatory)

Treatment

As with other types of depression, antidepressant medications and talk therapy can be effective. Light therapy using a special lamp to mimic light from the sun may also be helpful.

Symptoms commonly get better on their own with the change of seasons.

Causes

The disorder may begin in adolescence or early adulthood. Like other forms of depression, it occurs more frequently in women than in men. Most people with the "winter blahs" or "cabin fever" do not have SAD.

Okay. So I am probably one of those who really just do the "cabin fever" part. Actually, mine is probably more unique---a significant annoyance with winter. But that part about carbohydrates cravings---oooh yeah---popcorn. Do I need to say anything more there?!

All those symptoms and gloom and doom words about this syndrome came from Google health, by the way. And I want to draw your attention to the sentence right before the "causes". Symptoms commonly get better on their own with the change of seasons. Isn't that great? But then, around here we already knew that part too. Look what it did to the painting today:

It's got a ways to go, but one of those paintings that has a name even before it's done. Smells Like Summer. That list of symptoms up there? Gone. I painted with so much energy and concentration---you'd have been amazed. And not one single popcorn craving either. But maybe tonight after the sun sets, we'll go for a little of that. :)

Later, Cooper

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Who's Perfect?

by Cooper on 3/24/2010 8:39:09 AM1 Comment

Greetings,

Welcome to the Cooper studio, Jefferson, Iowa. I just watched a video, and it caused me to come right over here and ask you this question: "who's perfect?"

Who is so perfect at their work that they have achieved it all? They can do every task in front of them without flaw? First time, every time? Every canvas they put up on the easel becomes paint covered with perfectionionist technique and no critique out there would dare to say other wise. Every competition the painting is entered in, is just another award won. But who's counting because the perfect person wins so many?

Wow. Am I ever off in la-la land this morning! We all want there to be a place like that, right? There might be a few people who think they are there. (steer clear of them) But. If I know nothing else, this is one thing I have learned: there is always more to learn.

Sometimes I like to para-phrase that as "if you're not growing, you're dying". I've heard that there's a scientific basis behind that thought as well :) But surely we all know the living proofs of that version of "who's perfect?", don't we? Think about the artist whose work is exactly the same as it was ten years ago. We are not talking about recognizable style here, we are talking about no growth within that recognizable style. They got to where they are and stopped growing. Stopped looking for new. Stopped seeing. If you are reading this and not an artist, well guess what? It still applies to you. Just going through the motions---ooooooooh no.

That should be a blood-chilling-scary concept for anyone. Why does it happen?----sorry, don't know that one. Ways to keep it from happening to you? Got a couple of suggestions for you there:

1. Read a book. Better yet, read a book designed for beginners. Sure, you know all that stuff, but how much of it have you been ignoring? Maybe you even wrote the book! What if you look at beginner stuff from an advanced learner point of view? Where does that take you? I contend that looking at what you are sure you already know, with a fresh eye, can make it all new again. Hey, that's kind of like review, isn't it? :)
2. If you are almost perfect, then you know all the rules, right? So go break one. I am pretty sure that would go in the experimenting column. Usually experiments flop, once in a blue moon something great happens.
3. Okay, now we are back to paragraph #1, where I mentioned the video that's to blame for all of this post. God bless the person who invented videos. There are a ton of them out there lately, and hey, half a ton of them are free. Just click. Knowledge at your finger tips. Who could ask for more? They talk it at you, and show it to you. Okay, okay, not as good for your literary talent as #1, (therefore books will always be my #1) but videos are a resource for growth/learning that you shouldn't be ignoring.

"5Simple Design Elements That Will Improve Any Painting" Yep, that's the name of the video that started this pep talk. It's over at emptyeasel.com

"design and composition isn�t generally something that you think about while painting, it probably should be. A good design ensures that your viewers will stay interested in your artwork, even over a long period of time�and the truth is, good design doesn�t have to be all that complex, either. In today�s video, Mark Mehaffey shows us several simple design elements..."

Sure, it's about shapes, and values, and placement, and stuff that we all know. But. If you watch the video, or read the book, and it's all refreshed in your mind, and then you walk over to the easel and that spanky-clean white canvas, what will happen new and different? The guy with the old dog/new tricks issue--he was just crazy. Learn something new. We all can. We all should. And better yet, it might just show up evidenced in what we do.

Later, Cooper

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So How Much Is "Painting From Memory" Really Just Faking It?

by Cooper on 3/22/2010 4:09:19 PMComment on this

Greetings,

Welcome to the Cooper studio, Jefferson, Iowa. Alternating sun and clouds, spring style, can't argue with that. It was a little tricky getting photos done today, but I have one to show for it. And it causes me to ponder a thought: How much of "painting from memory" is really just faking it? Lot's of people talk about painting from memory, or imagination. How do I feel about that?

Library Bike, acrylic painting on a 30 x 40 inch canvas

Surely by now, you've all heard about the Cooper family relocation of last fall. My husband and I promised ourselves as soon as the house sold we would update our bicycle status. (that sounded a little unusual as I typed it---you'll just have to forgive us for our skewed priorities :) Anyway, the house sold, Cooper the younger, who was closing out his high school employee status at the local bike shop encouraged his bosses to give us a good deal :) (thanks Bikes, Boards, and Blades!) and we now ride the trails with an increased level of dexterity and finesse! My old bike, an ancient Schwinn, had been dubbed by the family as, you guessed it, "the library bike" It had this cool little metal rack on the back, perfect for ferrying library books to and from, as well as fetching home the occasional bag of groceries. But I've already told you, the younger Cooper spent his high school moments working at a very cool bike shop---so it was a little upsetting to him to have his mom riding around town on a creature as decrepit as the library bike. As soon as the new bikes cleared the threshold of the driveway, the library bike went out the back--I would love to say we donated it to a worthy cause---but truely there was no worthy cause that wanted it.

Hey, we are finally back to my original question almost! The person in this painting needed a bicycle, or was it this bicycle needed a person? I don't really know which came first here. What I do know is that not just any old bike would do---it had to have a little bit of personality too. While the new bike is lovely, it does not have a rusty old rack on the back, and it's streamlined self was at odds with the composition here.

People look at my paintings and ask if I paint from memory. I always tell them no. I love having the actual subject in front of me as I paint, but if not that, then a photo. But I needed the library bike, so today I painted from memory. It gets a little tricky when it comes down to suggesting bicycle spokes. Logic says you stretch wires from the rim to the hub, right? Au contraire. There are many and numerous patterns that spokes are arranged in. (insider info!) I know they cross at various places, so what's a painter to do? I faked it. And really, why would I want to paint each and every spoke with exact precision anyway? That's not what it's about. And with faking it--you get the idea, right?

Maybe instead of "faking it" I should use "suggestion"? And we can stretch that concept even further---the whole canvas is really just paint arranged in a way to suggest an idea. Paint on canvas to trick your eye to make you think about a person sitting in front of the library with her bike. Wow. I am so deceiving. And it gets worse. The library bike was green. Dark, homely, green. Surely you'll forgive me for faking that, right? This person, and the composition really wanted a red bike. Have a lovely day.

Later, Cooper

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Watch Your Email...

by Cooper on 3/15/2010 2:04:15 PMComment on this

Greetings,

Welcome to the Cooper studio, Jefferson, Iowa. I've had an interesting experience that I'd like to draw your attention to.

Just recently, we were all treated to the great article, Artists Online Presence - How One Artist Does It (Moshe Mikanovsky) so informative and helpful, that we were all pumped to get our work out there even more. And I will continue to keep at it, even after the events of this morning.

Let me explain. This morning, I discovered I had an online presence of a sort I didn't want, didn't like, and most importantly didn't authorize.

Here's what you might want to watch out for. I received an email stating my account for the online gallery was reviewed and ready, gave me an account number, told me to approve or make changes by sending to the email listed.

As mentioned in Mikanovsky's article, there are a ton of online galleries at which to show your work. My first thought was that this was one I'd signed up for and then forgotten about. After a lot of hunting and pecking, I finally found my way to their sign up page, and one quick glance told me I'd never seen it before. That meant somehow they had all my info and one of my paintings, without ever talking to me.

Fine, I thought, I'll find out how to log in and just delete the silly thing. Wrong. I had been magically signed up as a display artist. Display artists are not allowed to login and make changes to their accounts---that could only be done by an account manager. They assured me this was done to keep poor quality images off the sight. To be able to edit my own account, I had to be a virtual gallery artist. They'd be ever so happy to upgrade my status. I'm sure. A very brief pointed email to the account manager, and my "display artist" page has since been removed.

Ironically, there was some interesting art at the site. I wondered how much of it was really submitted by artists, and how much of it was "borrowed", like mine. Hey, they might even be a successful art marketing venue for some people. But I'm here to tell you, definitely not for me.

Ok. Back to happy things, like painting :)

Later, Cooper

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Flipflops, Sunglasses, Cool Beverage...

by Cooper on 3/8/2010 5:42:56 PMComment on this

Greetings,

Welcome to the Cooper studio, Jefferson, Iowa.

Flipflops, sunglasses, cool beverages, cutoff shorts, beach sand, sunny days, vacation time.....feel free to add you own personal favorites.

Gossip With A Glass Of Wine, an acrylic painting original on a wonderful little 12 x 12 inch canvas, as seen outside the Wine Bar, Arnolds Park, Iowa, on one fine afternoon last summer. (portfolio) I do believe this painting carries through with that flipflops, tank tops, cool beverage theme quite well :)

Strawberry Smoothie, an acrylic painting original on a slightly larger but still wonderful 24 x 24 inch canvas. This painting talks strawberry smoothie, and of course, what better cool summer beverage? Flags fluttering in the warm breeze... (portfolio)

Summer Loop, also a delightful little 12 x 12 inch canvas, colored up with acrylic paint, comes complete with two of those slushy drinks you get at the little stand on the Loop. Loop, for anyone needing Arnolds Park (Iowa) nomenclature, is that delightful little stretch of lake front off Okoboji, where summer vacation rules. (portfolio)

Lazy Afternoon, also acrylic paint, also on canvas, this one a little larger at 20 x 30 inches. But the good summer memories are here. Sharing a conversation, a dock, a couple of Coronas, and a lazy summer afternoon. (portfolio)

No Worries, this canvas is a lovely 16 x 24 inches. While I suppose "no worries" could refer to the physicalities of the painting, I was really referring to the folks in the painting. They are at that place we all want to be---relaxed, with a good book, summer sun shining down, no worries. My husband suggested that they probably had a couple of coronas at hand also---I must have missed that part of the scene :) (portfolio)

Thanks for stopping by.

Later, Cooper

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There's An Object Lesson In Here Some?where, And Life Drawing

by Cooper on 3/5/2010 5:47:40 PMComment on this

Greetings,

Welcome to the Cooper studio, Jefferson, Iowa, on a melt-the-snow kind of day. Hoody-haw.

Today we are going to talk about object lessons. Or hunt for object lessons in obscure places. Whichever. I think I might have located one this morning as I was struggling to wipe a cobweb from the hallway window. Yes, I'll give you that, it is an odd place to find an object lesson. Bear with me here, as I explain.

I'm sure I mentioned in blogs past, that, in August of 2009 we bought a new-old house, here in Jefferson. It's a 1901 craftsmen bungalow, very charming, especially as soon as we get all the work done that needs done. But that's not the lesson--rather the erradication of that pesky cobweb. So, craftmen bungalow circa 1901, it has a cool stairway with a landing halfway up, make the u-turn to finish the climb past the nice oak bannister, you get the picture, right? On said landing there are two windows, VERY HIGH windows. I am a taller than average person, stretching on tiptoe, I still can't touch the bottom of the window frame of these windows, yep, THAT high. But there was that cobweb, dang thing. So I went to the garage and got the 7 foot step ladder, which made me just tall enough to reach the bottom half of the window. Fortunately the spider had decided to build lower instead of higher, or I'd have been outa luck.

Hang on we're getting closer to that object lesson I think. Here's the lead: what would a short person have done? You know, about the cobweb? The seven foot ladder wouldn't have gotten a 5"2" person there, not to mention carrying a 7 foot step ladder up a flight of stairs. Ta Da! Maybe some of us are supposed to do some things, and others of us are supposed to do others! Maybe phrases like "know all-be all", and "self-made woman", and "bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan" are just ludicrous misconceptions?

As artists do we need to cover ALL the bases? When someone asks me if I'm going to start painting landscapes one of these days, can I just shuck off that guilty feeling? And when I don't have a clue how to make watercolor behave, and someone asks me my opinion on some watercolory thing, may I laugh? You know, we've studied art, aren't we all knowledgeable-like about all art stuff? And about marketing our art---do we have to do all that too? Artist: if your spouse handles that department for you, you better know you are BLESSED! But what about the rest of us, does it make more sense to pay somebody else to do it? I wish I knew the answers, maybe it'd make me famous.

In the meantime, I spent my morning cutting mats for the charcoal studies that, on my audio newsletter, I promised I'd be adding to the portfolio. (click on the red for that amazing audio newsletter) They are large drawings, requiring 24 x 30 inch mats, and you just can't walk into Hobby Lobby and find them ready. Yes, I know they'd be happy to do them for me at about 40 dollars a pop. Ouch, that! Decision made, cut mats for half a day, leaving only half a day to paint.

Three studies from life drawing, with more to follow, thanks.

Later, Cooper

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Galex 44

by Cooper on 3/3/2010 10:16:11 PMComment on this

Greetings,

Welcome to the Cooper studio, Jefferson, Iowa. The snow is still deep and I am still in rebellion, painting people lounging at the beach. It puts me in such a good frame of mind, certainly. Today, I contemplated lounging on a dock at the beach, complete with a couple of Coronas, at least in the painting. In reality, not too close to beach weather.

But, news of paintings shipped out into the world---Galex 44. Galex 44 is, of course, the 44th annual juried exhibit at the Galesburg, Illinois Civic Art Center. Two Cooper paintings made the cut. The show opens March 13th and runs for the normal month.

Friend, acrylic painting on a 40 x 40 inch canvas

Tea And A Book At The Unicorn, acrylic painting on a 24 x 30 inch canvas. Two of my favorites, and apparently, theirs as well. Happy day.

Later, Cooper

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Granted, Hopefully?

by Cooper on 3/2/2010 10:01:06 PMComment on this

Greetings,

Welcome to the Cooper studio, Jefferson, Iowa.

Right next door, sort of, to Ames, Iowa, home of the Octagon Art Center.

The Octagon is one of those neighborhood art centers doing an outstanding job for their community, but pretty much always on the edge budget-wise. And there are at least two reasons for that. We all know about budgets lately, so there is that. But then the Octagon doesn't seem to be willing to sit on a huge cash stash either. Let me explain, by example. Last fall, the boiler/heating system went kaput. It took a major passing of the hat, but successfully done, and there's a new boiler in the building now. Lot's of people would say, whew, we better lay low for a while and build up our reserves, right? Nope, the building next door just came available. Incredible opportunity for more space for art. And they are going for it.
So. I don't know if it's legal to put voting things on FASO blogs, but here goes. You can give me a legality demerit later, if needs be :) There's this grant money that Pepsi has thrown out there, and the Octagon is in the running.

http://pep.si/9wvXO6

That's the link. If you'd be so kind as to go there, and click the "vote for this idea" button, we'd be ever so grateful. Yeah, you have to register with Pepsi, but they seem to be pretty kind about that, so no worries there.

And if you happen to know other folks who'd feel kind heartedly toward a neighborhood art center trying to make a difference, send the link on. Thanks for the help.

Later, Cooper

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