Susan Moss Cooper
Signature Member AOT
Susan Moss Cooper began painting in oils at a young age under the instruction of her grandmother, Leola Moss (1909-2007), a nationally recognized award-winning painter. Susan’s grandmother, Leola began painting in 1938. She studied under early Texas artist Vivian Aunspaugh for 10 years. She also studied with Jessie Davis, Ramon Froman and gave art demonstrations to the Frank Reaugh Art Club. Frank Reaugh and Vivian Aunspaugh are the pioneers in bringing professional art to Dallas during the early 1900′s and Leola played a key role in the Dallas art scene during her career, exhibiting at Joseph Sartor Galleries on several occasions, as well as her own gallery, 3020 McKinney.*
Susan's style is influenced by these early Texas artists, especially her grandmother. Like her predecessors, she prefers to paint from life and often paints en plein air. Her focus has been figurative work as well as landscapes from her travels throughout Europe and the Southwest. “Painting on-site brings so many other elements to a piece. The work is the result of my reaction to what I’m experiencing in the moment – the temperature, the wind, the light, indescribable qualities that come out in the painting. I’m more concerned with capturing the spirit of a place and my response to it rather than the exact color or duplication of what I see.”
She has studied with E. Melinda Morrison and taken workshops with Kim English, Lesley Rich, Jeanette LeGrue and Suzanne Kelly Clark. Her work has been shown in The Women’s Museum, The Dallas Contemporary, The Museum of Biblical Art, galleries in Dallas and Santa Fe and can currently be seen in the collection of the Dallas Convention Center Hotel, the Omni. Her work is represented in many private collections across the country. She has painted “live” at several venues, including the Dallas Museum of Art, the Mansion on Turtle Creek, and Brook Hollow Golf Club.
Susan was born in Dallas, Texas, where she currently resides with her husband Rob, twelve year old son Tres, a dog named Zoe and several cats. She is a member of Oil Painters of America, Outdoor Painters Society and a founding member of Tutti i Lunedi, a plein air group documenting Dallas historical sites.
Recently, Susan launched Noble Dallas, a company that raises awareness of human trafficking in Dallas and donates 20% of its net profits back to New Friends New Life, a Dallas nonprofit that is tackling the issue. Currently, she offers handmade jewelry and notecard box sets of selected paintings, with plans for fine art prints and handcrafted cards.
