86th Grand National Exhibition at the Salmagundi Club in New York City

My oil painting A New Ophelia has just been accepted into The American Artists Professional League 86th Grand National Exhibition 2014 at the Salmagundi Club in New York City.

The exhibition will be held at the Salmagundi Club, 47 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10003 from November 10 through November 21 and will be open to the public 1-6 pm Monday to Friday and 1-5 pm Saturday and Sunday.

A New Ophelia is a new take on the story of Shakespeare's Ophelia.  Ophelia, struggling across the sharp stones of the path of her life collapses before her final hurdle, a large wall of rocks separating her from peace.  Red poppies trail in the water behind her, a request to the viewer not to forget her.  

A New Ophelia, Jaime Cooper, 2014, oil on linen, 21 x 18 inches, copyright Jaime Cooper

How to Create a Painting Part 1

I am working on a painting of Ophelia.  I will go more into the "story" of the painting once I post the finished version, but I wanted to walk you through my process for creating a painting.

The first step behind any painting is to have an idea or story that you would like to tell.  One of my students has been working on a master copy of Milais' Ophelia.  I wanted to do a modern take on Ophelia, so I started thinking of compositions.  I was walking to my studio one morning and the design popped into my head.  I could see it clearly, which for me is always necessary before I begin a painting.  If I don't know where I am going, I can't get there.  I need to know how I would like the painting to look.  A few years ago I traveled to Kaaterskill Falls and I explored the top of the falls.  There is a beautiful little glen there and I have been wanting to use it in a painting for a long time.  I am going to change it for this painting, but it will serve as the inspiration for the setting.

Next:  the preliminary drawing and value study.