Oil painter Kathy Cooper has been painting her entire life. What started as a passion for watercolor turned into a passion for oil. College taught her the importance of composition and design. Cooper worked in illustrating, marketing, and publishing until she had twins and realized she wanted to turn back to the fine art world. Her studies took many forms but it was through finding mentors that she admired and respected did her art really begin to flourish.

You paint from life. What do you think you get by painting from life as opposed to painting from a photograph?
A photograph limits information available to the human eye such as value and color range and form. Working from life will present the artist with the maximum amount of information. The artist must then choose what they want to relay in their painting, what is important and what is not. It can be quite a challenge when painting outdoors or florals as the lighting changes quickly and flowers move and then eventually wilt. One must learn to identify what information they need quickly. It is a skill to learn.

What are you trying to do when you set up a scene for your florals? What aspects of setting up a scene are important? How long do you spend with a scene before beginning to paint?
I’m drawn to color, form, and different textures of subjects. I have a studio of dishes with gold trim, antique items and different metals such as copper and pewter. I start with the flowers, set them in an interesting presentation and search my studio for an item which will compliment the arrangement. Composition is most important to me when I arrange a still life. I like a “lead-in” and a strong area of interest. The softness of the flowers contrast the sharp edges of gold trim and highlights of glass. I’ve hit it right in fifteen minutes before, but I’ve also been known to fiddle with a set-up for an hour to get it just right. It all has to do with the way the eye travels with the subject for me.

You loved art as a child but worked many years in illustration, marketing and publishing. How did you make that transition back into the fine art world?
I’ve always painted. I had just not been in the business of fine art until I had twins. I was ready to make the switch at a time in my life when I was raising three little ones. I really just focused on my painting skills and researching the business of fine art (which is much different than graphic design) while being an at-home Mom. Getting involved with local art societies and then teaching locally was a good beginning. I then began showing regionally and eventually nationally.

How long did it take for you to be comfortable calling yourself an artist? Do you think it's important for artists to identify as such?
I’ve always known it was my passion, there was no point I had to become comfortable with the idea. I think it’s more important for artists to realize painting is a learned skill lead by passion. I see students who have never painted before begin with an interest and once they see their accomplishments, they develop such a passion for painting. Their identity as an artist probably has more to do with their confidence than anything.

What role have mentors played in your art career? How have you chosen who to study with and how have they affected your growth as an artist?
Studying with professional artists I respect and admire is my key. Two years in Craig Srebnik Atelier began my journey into the fine art field. Studying instructional books and Videos by the best of the best such as Richard Schmid and David Laffel has effected my work greatly. I still refer to their books often. Taking workshops by Master Impressionists such as Carolyn Anderson, Clayton J. Beck III, Scott L. Christensen, Kim English, Nancy Guzik, Calvin Liang, and C.W. Mundy is a continuous learning experience for me. I really enjoy seeing through their eyes, what inspires them and what their approach is. Collectively, information from all these masters helps me define the work I want. It keeps me on my toes.

How do  you divide your time? How much time do you spend working on a piece? What does your average day look like?
I like large painting blocks of time, therefore, I usually choose certain days of the week for painting and certain days for promotion and records. There is no typical time for a painting. I paint until I have achieved my goal. The time for each painting is always different. It could be thirty minutes for a miniature or a full week for a larger work. I do usually “finish” the painting, and then live with it in my studio for awhile. I almost always go back to it to improve it here and there. Time tends to bring my attention to areas I could improve upon.

What does your process look like? Does it change much between still life and landscapes? Do you do studies or jump straight into the paint?
Studies are always helpful, especially for landscapes. I will bring plein air works into the studio and paint larger works from them. I don’t typically do studies on florals in my studio. Probably since I like the values and colors I capture from life and really don’t like repainting them from a study. I think my process is typically the same, but some paintings are more refined than others. My thought process is always the same, composition, values, form, color and edges.

You teach painting. Where do you see your students struggle in plein air? What advice would you give someone who is learning to paint landscapes and wants to paint plein air?
I love introducing plein air painting to students. They get so excited from the experience and it becomes another painting passion. I think the most typical struggle beginning plein air is choosing what to paint. There is so much information and so many options that it’s hard for them to choose. Once they paint outdoors often, they become more comfortable with choosing one or two of the many views. Capturing the light quickly may be another common struggle, especially for artists who are very detail oriented.

Speaking of your classes, what do your workshops focus on, and what is it that you want your students to walk away with?
I teach the fundamentals of art, composition, value, color, form and edges. If students walk away with realizing the importance of the idea, purpose and structure of the painting, I’ve done my job well. So many artists are in search of techniques when what they really need is to learn the fundamentals and to be confident enough to sneak up on the details, to learn to see value and color and to soften those edges. I believe this is why so many students have commented that they have learned more from me in one class than many with others. I love to see such fabulous progress from my students. It’s very rewarding.

To learn more about Kathy Cooper visit her website. While you're there check out her workshops page to learn about a three day plein air workshop in August and on-going classes September through June.