Karen Cooper Gallery
Karen Cooper Bio
When Karen was eight years of age, she made the statement, “I will be a famous artist
one day.” That was a few miles ago; Karen didn’t know about how marriage and family
would put the direction and course of her life on hold. Then in the late nineties,
as her career in the venture capital world of Silicon Valley was growing, she began
her journey back to art, from which she has never looked back but she wasn’t there yet.
In August 2001 her father passed away. Then came 9/11 and everyone’s world turned
upside down. Seeking solace and peace from back-to-back tragedies, Karen headed
for Sedona. There, among the red rocks she met her husband-to-be. Shortly, thereafter,
Silicon Valley helped her reach a momentous decision; her company folded and she
found herself in a not-so-friendly work market. Only one thing left for her to do,
live the dream she has started at eight. Within a year, Karen had her first one-woman
show as a full-time artist and she and her new husband left behind all that was
known and safe for the wilds of New Mexico. Within three months of that, she designed
her own
studio and broke ground for its building! There was no turning back now;
the momentum grew.
Today Karen’s unique and original works are fast gaining momentum as some of the
best Art of the West that can be acquired. She is a proven award-winner and continues
to gain notoriety with her peers, as well as with critics and collectors, as shown
at the 2004 National show of the Pastel Society of New Mexico where her artwork
received over 70% of the vote for The Peoples’ Choice Award. In addition, her work
has been chosen as one of the Pastel Top 100 by the Pastel Journal Magazine (Pastel
Journal asked Karen to write an article on her unique style and technique which
was published in the August 2006 issue). On many occasions she has been told by
horse trainers, horse arena owners and heads of horseman associations that, “although
I hate what artists do to horses in their work, you got it right!” Backing that
up, Karen was featured in an article in Horses in Art, Spring 2007 issue and in
the May/June 2007 issue of Wildlife Art Magazine. In addition, Karen’s Western Art
has been featured in Western Horseman, she has been invited to The Phippen Museum
Invitational Western Art show & Sale four times, three times to the prestigious
Peppertree Art show and Sale, twice to the Cattlemen’s Association Art show and
Sale in Paso Robles, California, the Roundup Art Show and Sale and Collectors’ Classic
at the Museum of Western Art in Kerrville, Texas, the Greeley Stampede Western Art
show in Greeley, Colorado and the Mountain Oyster Club’s Western Art Show in Tucson.
Not bad for a fifth-generation Californian who moved east to New Mexico to find
the real West! Oh, yes, a couple more items of interest: she is related to Jesse
James and her great, great, great grandfather was a friend of and rode with Kit
Carson! A gal of the West finally comes home.