Art, Science and the pursuit of a life worth living

I am nobody .... nobody's perfect

Dora and Owen

A wedding gift for my nephew Owen and his fiancée Dora. Generative AI used to compose the scene with the prompt: “an oil painting portrait of a happy couple in the style of John Singer Sargent, 19th century dress, background reminiscent of a gilded age mansion, detailed facial expressions, symmetrical eyes no moustache –v 6.0” Then swapped in the facial...

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Lily Pond

Continuing to experiment with Generative AI to compose painting ideas using Midjourney. This time used a number of images instead of words as prompts. Photographs of the lilies in Lily Pond which abuts our home in the Berkshires, combined with photographs of Susan. “Lily Pond” (2024). Louis Cooper. Oil on canvas. 24″x36″

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Self Portrait as a Seaman

Continuing to experiment with Generative AI to compose painting ideas using Midjourney. In this case my prompt was: “A 19th century clean-shaven Norwegian man with short hair dressed in a sailor’s smock, oil painting, self-portrait, in the style of Caravaggio, intense chiaroscuro, mysterious lighting, detailed face, symmetrical eyes –no beard, –chaos 25...

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Fox

Continuing to experiment with generative AI (Midjourney) to help with inspiration and create compositions that I then paint in oils. Generative AI can generate surprising connections between themes and images that I suggest as inputs. I am still learning how to create the most useful prompts that affect the quality and direction of the lighting, the degree of detail,...

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Floral Hat

I am experimenting with the use of generative AI to compose images that I will then paint in oils. It allows me to play with a number of ideas and create surprising compositions. I use a variety of sources and draw ideas from popular culture, other artists and my own images. I then use AI to assist with transforming a likeness to that of my model (typically Susan of...

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Crying Nun

One of Suzy’s favorite artworks is Botero’s “Crying Nun” a work in pastel. I made a master copy in oil on wood panel, substituting Suzy’s likeness. Here is the result: “Suzy Crying Nun (after Botero’s Crying Nun)” (2023). Louis Cooper. Oil on wood panel. 20″x20″ And here is the original by...

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Return to the Easel

I took some time away from painting during Covid. Needed some time to digest what I was experiencing in the emergency room. Played around with computer language, microprocessors, encaustics, sticker art. Spent time cooking, hiking, sculling, splitting firewood and enjoying the outdoors. The World seems to have settled back to its chaotic old self and I felt it was time...

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Mechanical Flower

I have been learning the Arduino IDE and Python computer languages and experimenting with microprocessors, servomotors, LEDs, soldered sculptures to create mechanical flowers that “bloom” in response to the human touch, electronic jewelry, etc… Mechanical Flower Edit this page

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ZuZu

Created a sticker for ZuZu inspired by Shepard Fairey’s Obama Hope poster and We The People Posters.

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Suzy (Oil version of encaustic)

I started from the same image of Suzy that I made into an encaustic. This time using oil on panel. I restricted myself to a very limited palette and worked to achieve contrast and a wider range of values than I typically have in the past. Oil on acrylic primed wood panel. Ground was then toned with Burnt Sienna Palette and Supplies: Cadmium Red MediumQuinacridone...

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Karin (Encaustic)

My second experiment with encaustic painting was a painting of my mother Karin. Encaustic, paper, gold leaf and oil stick on R&F encaustic gessoed cradled birch wood panel. Palette and Supplies: Gamblin oil paints Sennelier Artist Oil Pastel Sticks Paper Gold leaf Enkaustikos Refined White Beeswax Enkaustikos Damar Resin R&F Hot Plate Intertek VT 1100 heat gun...

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Suzy (Encaustic)

Took a class in Encaustics at the Art Students League in New York. I had always been fascinated by the Fayum Mummy Portraits at the Met and thought that I might try out this ancient archival medium. They are paintings in pigmented beeswax which have a depth, texture and translucency due to the wax medium. Here was a corner of our classroom, Suzy on the right and another...

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Medusa (after Caravaggio)

Inspired by Caravaggio’s “Medusa” which was also a self portrait. Oil on acrylic primed wood panel. Ground was then toned with a combination of Hookers Green, Flake White and Chromatic Black. Palette and Supplies: Cadmium Red MediumQuinacridone RedYellow OchreRaw SiennaRaw UmberBurnt UmberViridian GreenHookers GreenUltramarine BlueFlake WhiteChromatic...

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Mebble Offering a Thronabulax

Design for a personal weather-proof sticker for my brother’s birthday so that he can adorn the streets of New York with his own features and a peaceful offering of a thronabulax flower. Oil on acrylic primed wood panel. Ground was then toned with a combination of Gamblin Fastmatte Raw Sienna and Flake White Palette and Supplies: Cadmium Red Medium Quinacridone Red...

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Susan (after Rafaello’s “Portrait of a Young Woman”)

Inspired by Rafaello Santi’s “Portrait of a Young Woman.” Thought to be his lover. Oil on acrylic primed wood panel. Ground was then toned with a combination of Gamblin Fastmatte Raw Sienna and Flake White Palette and Supplies: Cadmium Red Medium Quinacridone Red Gold Ochre Naples Yellow Raw Umber Burnt Umber Viridian Green Ultramarine Blue Flake White...

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Unfinished Zu

Started a moody portrait of Susan. When it reaches the imprimatura, sketched in oil onto the colored ground, it usually takes on quite a haunting appearance. Susan said I should stop right there, and not change it any further. Oil on acrylic primed wood panel. Ground was then toned with Gamblin Fastmatte Burnt Sienna Palette and Supplies: Burnt Sienna Raw Umber Burnt...

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Sewing Box

Found an antique sewing box in a small town in Virginia’s Smoky Mountains. Decorated it for my sister Elisabeth. Side View: End View: Other End:

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Rabbit

Inspired by surrealist artist Laurie Hogin Oil on canvas” Ground was then toned with mixture of chromatic black and flake white. Palette and Supplies: Quinacridone Violet Yellow Ochre Burnt Sienna Raw Umber Burnt Umber Sap Green Viridian Green Ultramarine Blue Flake White Chromatic Black Mars Black Galkyd Slow Dry Medium Gamsol Odorless Mineral Spirits Design was...

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Clementine

A clementine – to sit on Suzy’s desk at work. Oil on canvas. Ground was then toned with burnt sienna. Palette and Supplies: Yellow Ochre Burnt Sienna Raw Umber Burnt Umber Sap Green Viridian Green Ultramarine Blue Flake White Chromatic Black Mars Black Galkyd Slow Dry Medium Gamsol Odorless Mineral...

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Frieda

Funerary mask for Frieda, my parents’ beloved beast. Oil on cradled birchwood panel from “American Easel.” Ground was then toned with burnt sienna. Palette and Supplies: Quinacridone Violet Naples Yellow Yellow Ochre Burnt Sienna Raw Umber Burnt Umber Sap Green Viridian Green Ultramarine Blue Flake White Chromatic Black Mars Black Galkyd Slow Dry Medium...

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Self Portrait

Oil on cradled birchwood panel from “American Easel.” Ground was then toned with burnt sienna. Palette and Supplies: Quinacridone Red Quinacridone Violet Cadmium Red Medium Yellow Ochre Burnt Sienna Raw Umber Burnt Umber Viridian Green Flake White Chromatic Black Galkyd Slow Dry Medium Gamsol Odorless Mineral Spirits Design was sketched onto toned canvas with...

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New and Improved Zu

This has not been a productive couple of years for me. Working almost exclusively nightshifts in the Emergency Room has taken a bit of a toll on my energy level. I seem to always be either working … or recovering from working. It’s hard to improve as a painter if you’re not painting. Year          Paintings 2012          29 2013          35...

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Self Portrait as a Dogon

The end of 2016 had me working an excessive number of hours in the ER. I also picked a model I initially had difficulty relating to (even though it was ME!) The composition seemed a bit theatrical and unreal. So I ended up messing around with it way longer than I typically spend on a painting. Typical start, but had to do a number of glazes and adjustments to achieve the...

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Karin

After painting my Dad, and with my Mom’s birthday just around the corner, I decided to paint a companion painting of my Mom. Same size panel and similar palette. I liked the gesture of the hand and the smile. Oil on cradled birchwood panel from “American Easel.” Ground was then toned with burnt sienna. Palette and Supplies: Quinacridone Red Quinacridone...

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Saul

Had lunch at the Brooklyn brauhaus “Buschenschank” with my Dad. I snapped a few pics because the light and his expression were just right. It was a fun experience painting my Dad just before Fathers Day. Long hours spent looking into his eyes, seeing the spark of life appear, touching his cheek with my brush. I guess this is one of the reasons I enjoy...

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Always on my Mind

Saw a cool mask at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and thought it would look good on Suzy’s head. Oil on canvas. Store-bought canvas, primed with acrylic gesso. Ground was then toned with burnt sienna. Palette and Supplies: Quinacridone Red Indian Red Naples Yellow Yellow Ochre Raw Sienna Burnt Sienna Burnt Umber Phthalo Blue Phthalo Green Flake White Chromatic...

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Agnus Dei (after Francisco de Zurbaran)

A master-copy of the classic painting by Francisco de Zurbaran. I’m not really good enough to copy it — I’d call it more of an “interpretation.” Not sure why I was drawn to this painting. Strange how some things can beckon. This is my third sheep or goat painting, and I’ve painted quite a few pears too. Hmmm …. I wonder what this...

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Baby Bee

Oil on wooden panel. Panel prepared with three coats of acrylic “gesso” lightly sanded between coats. Ground was then toned with Transparent Earth Red. Palette and Supplies: Cadmium Red Medium Quinacridone Red Yellow Ochre Naples Yellow Ultramarine Blue Transparent Earth Red (FastMatte) Raw Umber Burnt Umber Flake White Galkyd Slow Dry Medium (for the glazes)...

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