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 features of each of them to create my model. “Dora and Owen” (2024)....
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″
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 –ar 4:5” “Self Portrait as a Seaman” (2024). Louis Cooper....
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, suggesting the most appropriate style (e.g. “an oil painting, in the style of...
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 course!). Midjourney prompt: “A 16th century Dutch woman painting by Vermeer, blond...
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 Botero:
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 to say goodbye to Covid and return to painting. I painted a portrait of Suzy, seated...
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
Art, Science and the pursuit of a life worth living
I am nobody .... nobody's perfect
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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Painted a series of Daily Paintings featuring different perspectives on Zu. Each one was small format and completed in a single sitting, painted alla prima.
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Painted a series of Daily Paintings featuring different perspectives on Zu. Each one was small format and completed in a single sitting, painted alla prima.
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Painted a series of Daily Paintings featuring different perspectives on Zu. Each one was small format and completed in a single sitting, painted alla prima.
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Painted a series of Daily Paintings featuring different perspectives on Zu. Each one was small format and completed in a single sitting, painted alla prima.
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Oil and gold leaf 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 Naples Yellow Sap Green Viridian Green Ultramarine Blue Prussian Blue Dioxazine Purple Transparent Earth Red (FastMatte) Flake White...
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Oil and gold leaf on wooden panel. Panel prepared with two coats of acrylic “gesso.” Ground was then toned with Terra Rosa. Gold leaf was applied to entire panel and oil paint applied over leaf. Palette and Supplies: Cadmium Red Medium Naples Yellow Yellow Ochre Terre Verte Phthalo Blue Terra Rosa Burnt Sienna Burnt Umber Mars Black Flake White Galkyd Slow...
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Oil on mounted linen. Canvas prepared with two coats of acrylic “gesso” followed by two coats of oil based primer. Ground was then toned with burnt sienna. Palette and Supplies: Cadmium Red Medium Quinacridone Magenta Yellow Ochre Transparent Orange Phtalo Blue Dioxazine Purple Burnt Sienna Burnt Umber Rich Gold Chromatic Black Flake White Galkyd Slow Dry...
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Oil on reclaimed canvas. Canvas prepared with two coats of acrylic “gesso.” Ground was then toned, painted with a different portrait in acrylic paint. Canvas was reclaimed by painting over the original portrait with a mixture of Raw Umber and Flake White. Liberally embedded as usual with cat hair for texture. I limited myself to a palette of only 6 colors....
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Based on the still life by contemporary artist Arthur Da Costa (1921-2004). Did this one really quickly for a couple of reasons. First, I wanted to see how fast I could do it (about 5 hours total). Second, I wondered how it might feel to have to paint towards a deadline. Artists are undervalued and underpaid by our society. Only a minority of artists actually support...
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Based on the still life by contemporary Dutch painter Jos van Riswick. Oil on mounted linen. Canvas prepared with two coats of acrylic “gesso,” one coat of Gamblin Oil Primer. Ground was then toned, painted with a different portrait. Canvas was reclaimed by painting over the original portrait with a mixture of Hooker Green, Raw Umber and Flake White....
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I liked this photograph, taken by Michael, of himself and Nina in a mirror. Hence the title “Selfie Portrait.” Oil on canvas. Canvas prepared with two coats of acrylic “gesso,” one coat of Gamblin Oil Primer. Ground was then toned, painted with a different portrait. Canvas was reclaimed by painting over the original portrait with a mixture of...
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I’ve been a bit distracted lately and have not been painting as much as I’d like too. Perhaps because I wasn’t very happy with this most recent painting. That was until I compared it with my previous work and realized that I was even less happy with my older paintings. So I guess that’s a sign of improvement? I doubt that I’ll ever be happy...
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Took a bit longer to do this one due to the number of layers of glazing required for the hat. Reclaimed a canvas that featured the portrait of a special woman (who hated her portrait). So it was either i.) paint over it or ii.) hang it in the furnace room. Oil on canvas. Canvas prepared with two coats of acrylic “gesso,” one coat of Gamblin Oil Primer. Ground...
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Here’s the progression of a portrait of Suzy and me on the occasion of our 26th wedding anniversary. It’s a small work and was completed in three sessions, each 1-3 hours long. I probably could have completed the painting in two sessions and with a smaller palette but I ended up fussing over it a bit. Oil on wooden panel. Panel was sized with Gamblin PVA...
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Here’s the progression of my portrait of Milo. It was a quick study completed in two sessions, each 2-3 hours long. Oil on wooden panel. Panel was sized with Gamblin PVA Size, two coats of acrylic “gesso,” one coat of Gamblin Oil Primer. Ground was then toned with a mixture of Raw Umber and Flake White. Palette and Supplies: Cadmium Red Medium...
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“Self Portrait” (2015). Louis Cooper. Oil on Panel. 6″ x 6″. Painted this in one session on a small six-inch wooden panel that Suzy brought home from her architectural office.
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“Honibaba” (2015). Louis Cooper. Oil on Panel. 12″x12 ” Private Collection of David Cooper.
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I contributed four of my earliest works to Bob and Roberta Smith’s: Art Amnesty Project at MoMA PS1. I can now say that I’ve been exhibited in my first group show! The works are to be destroyed at the conclusion of the show. Check out: http://momaps1.org/exhibitions/view/391 Here are a couple of the works after they had been nailed to the...
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“Pears and Bowl” (2015). Louis Cooper. Oil on Panel. 12″x12 ” Mastercopy of Original painting “Still Life with Pears and Bowl.” Ladislaus Rath Berger. 150mm x 120mm http://www.rathberger.hu/rb.html
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“La Désespérée” (2015). Louis Cooper. Oil on Panel. 12″x12 ” Inspired by the self-portrait “Le Désespéré” (1843). Gustave Courbet. Oil on Canvas
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“Karin with Kali” (2014). Louis Cooper. Oil on Mounted Linen. 24″x 24″ Inspired by the portrait of his wife “Girl with a Kitten” (1947). Lucien Freud.
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