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Greetings,

 

Welcome to the Cooper studio, Jefferson, Iowa.

 

Did you catch the title of this post?  Focus.  Focus.  Seems like an odd title to give a post twenty days distant from the most recent other post at this place, eh?  But please, let me explain.  And it really is about focus.

 

If you scan my blog articles prior to 2012, you've gotta' admit, I've been pretty darn steady.  Pretty much focused.  I did not leave you languishing sans a good read.  In fact, my normal schedule at that time involved about 2 hours of online-artist work every working day.  Focus.  Focus.

 

My spouse is working on a project.  Yup, scary.  It requires my focus.  I have been called up as a research person.  Two hours a day, give or take a few.  So have I stopped painting?  No sir-ee bob.  But you'll notice the amount of time I spent with the artistic online presence is almost identical to the amount of time I just alluded to as research time?  Yes.  My online focus has been altered.

 

Don't worry, it's not a forever thing.  We are assuming one of these days the project will be rolling, and my excellent research skills will not be in such high demand.  But that's not the point of all this - it's just the build up.

 

I want to tell you about focus.  The wow factor.  The grab your eyes and pull them right to the key place thing.  You see, the research I have been doing is 99% internet based.  And let me tell you I have developed an amazing scan speed.  I buzz down that screen/page with words and numbers a-flying.  UNTIL!  Focus, focus - and there it is.  What I was looking for, and it jumps out and grabs me.  Er, grabs my attention.  No mistaking, it's THE-IMPORTANT-THING.  Yes, it's the focus of my search, and there it is, blatantly evident.  Holding my attention.  Keeping me there.

 

Kind of like a good painting, you know.   They tell us we need to plot a focus for our painting.  And they give us all the rules for doing it well.  (example) (also google:  focal point in a painting) Do we pay attention?  Do we give it a rousing try?  At least a valiant effort?  We'd better be.  This is a busy world, and there are a whole bunch of things out there vying for people's attention.  I don't know about you, but I really don't want my creation to be the part the folks with amazing scan speed just fly right over.  I want my painting to be the one that has a focus point.  One that says "here is THE-IMPORTANT-THING". 

 

Focus, focus.  Something to think about as you're sketching out that next painting plan, eh?

 

Thanks for stopping by.

 

Later, Cooper

 

 

Greetings,

 

Welcome to the Cooper studio, Jefferson, Iowa.  Make that the soon to be a little emptier Cooper studio, Jefferson, Iowa.  I have paintings ready to roll.  Out the door.  Down the road.  36 of 'em.  Hunh!

 

I mentioned in the previous post about my upcoming exhibit, Living Relaxed.  And now we are close.  We load the trusty art van on February 15th, and the show officially opens on February 17th.  36 paintings.  I wonder if they'll all fit...

 

Living Relaxed, an exhibit of paintings by Karen Cooper, and here's the link:

 

http://www.sac.iastate.edu/en/arts_entertainment/art_exhibits/

 

Consider yourself invited.  And thanks for stopping by.

 

Later, Cooper

 

 

Greetings,

 

Welcome to the Cooper studio, Jefferson, Iowa.  Hey, this is supposed to be my slow time of year.  I am supposed to be the person that the title of this post is about.  What's going on?! 

 

First of all, that's not only the title of this post, but it's the title of a showing of my paintings soon to open.  Iowa State Memorial Union Gallery, February 17th through March 26th.  I just counted up, there's 36 of 'em.  And that doesn't include the one sitting on the easel, hollering at me, "Finish me, finish me!  I want to go too!"  (I like paintings with a message, but sheesh!)

 

My goal way back when, at the start of the concept for this exhibit, was finding the posture of "relaxed".  Interestingly, it's not necessarily a person reclining, and definitely not a figure sleeping, although it could be both of those, I suppose.  I have convinced myself that I can see "relaxed" in a person walking down the street.  A mom pushing a baby stroller.  A couple leaning on a fence rail, looking out over the lake.  Is "relaxed" more a case of simply enjoying the moment?  Hey, it works for me.  And my paintings.

 

Thanks for stopping by.

 

Later, Cooper

 

Greetings,

 

Welcome to the Cooper studio, Jefferson, Iowa.  We didn't get the storm we were promised.  I love those kind of broken promises :)

 

I am heading toward a show date:  February 15th, Iowa Memorial Union Gallery,  (on campus at Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa) 30 paintings.  Hunh.  Just watch me.  And here's one of the most recent that will be loaded into the art-van soon:

 

  High Heel Attitude, an acrylic painting on a big (really big) canvas, as in 40 x 40 inches.  Yes, it's in my portfolio. I will possibly give you that link shortly, but you could also just go to the menu bar and click on portfolio ---at this time of night, it might be faster.

 

Yawn.  Later,

KC

 

Oh.  And have I remembered to tell you?  The exhibit of my paintings at ISU is being called "Living Relaxed"

Greetings, 

 

Welcome to the Cooper studio, Jefferson, Iowa.

 

Did you read that title?  Aach!  Another artistic voice stifled. Oh, the tyranny of it all!

 

Wait!

I have three important things to say:

 

1)  Stay focused, so you don't walk off and leave your acrylic paint palette uncovered :)

2)  Have a spouse who when you DON'T stay focused, and you end up trying to scrape the mess off, WISELY interjects  "why don't you just THROW AWAY THE PALETTE and get a new one?!

3)  Take the daily headlines (er, the title line) with a grain of salt.

 

So supposedly there's a blizzard heading for central Iowa.  What a great day to have an in-house studio, complete with a new palette to squeeze nice fresh paint onto...

 

Thanks for stopping by.

 

Later, Cooper