Joanne Cooper Artist Statement “I don’t see what is, I see what could be. I create to express a feeling, an emotion, to make a connection. My creative process is an exploration of the senses -- it’s how I relate to the world around me.”

Joanne is an expressionist painter. A sculptor. A jewelry designer. And somewhat of a Renaissance woman. Her work is alive and bold, full of pure energy and raw emotion. Originally from Columbus, Ohio, the daughter of a noted Professor of Marketing and Economics, Ms. Cooper initially followed her father’s lead and studied economics at Northwestern University. But ultimately she moved to New York to follow her passion as an artist. Studying painting at the Art Student’s League, she was soon exhibiting her artwork in shows throughout the Northeast; winning National Competitions in juried shows at the National Academy of Design, Newport Festival of the Artist; and one-woman shows in galleries in New York, Chicago, East Hampton and throughout the East Coast.

Ms. Cooper started her career as a young painter back in the pre-feminist mid-60’s trying to balance her creative vision with her responsibilities as a young wife and mother of two. Painting 5-6 hours a day while her children were off at school, she stole time in her studio between preparing meals, doing homework and managing a family and household.

Moving between painting and sculpture, Joanne eventually applied the movement and flow of expressionism to the ornamental medium of jewelry design. During a successful 20 plus year career creating what she calls “Body Sculpture” working with semi-precious stones, silver and gold.

As a painter, Joanne thrives on experimentation and the free-style mixing of different forms of media including oils, watercolors, dried flowers and other organic materials, stones, collage, cut paper and other materials that add layer upon layer for texture, depth and added dimension.

Joanne paints in bold, fluid and rhythmic strokes of vibrant color. She describes her subjects as anything that doesn’t talk back to her – from the Hudson River landscapes beyond the windows of her Riverdale home to the West Hampton seascapes of her early years as young wife and mother, to still life images of floral arrangements that appear fresh from her garden, to dream-like images of five legged horses, and seductive, secluded views of Indian Pond in Fieldstone or the a idyllic moment captured in Wave Hill. Cooper uses a wide variety of materials in her work. Old book shelves form her son’s room have provided canvases for spray paintings of still life of flowers that are reminiscent of Asian floral paintings.

“My paintings are about being in the moment, being present. I try to express my hopes, dreams, joys, sorrows. Painting is a pure extension of who I am and how I see the world through the use of color, textures, movement, shapes and forms, mixing different media. Painting is sensual experience, a way to express and free my senses. Being in the moment and fully aware of everything that surrounds me. I revel in seeing the similarity of shapes between disparate objects – I’ll observe a flock of geese and see one with an elongated curved neck and just beyond recognize the curved angle of a water viaduct. I see continuous changes and movements from soft to hard, square to round, transparent to opaque and I need to capture these changes, this ebb and flow of reality.”

Joanne Cooper’s body sculpture and jewelry design has been featured in many designer fashion collections on the pages of Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Playboy, Women’s Wear Daily, The New York Times, Essence and others. Her work has also been displayed and distributed at high quality fashion retailers including Henri Bendel, Saks Fifth Avenue, Kruger Gallery, Hanae Mori, I Magnin, Lord & Taylor and others.

Her paintings have been widely exhibited throughout the Northeast in solo and group shows. Joanne’s work has been acquired for numerous corporate and private collections, including Holt, Rhinehart & Winston, Emile Zola Berman Institute, the Iona Institute of the Arts. Ms. Cooper has been widely reviewed in Art News, Park East and various American and French publications.

She is a member of the Westchester and Yonkers Art Associations, the Silvermine Guild of Artists, among others. She is referenced in the Who’s Who in American Women.