Lara Cooper is a contemporary painter in Oil and Watercolour, producing work based in the observation of beauty and simplicity in real life. With a deep appreciation for the technical skill of painters of bygone eras, and a love for light and texture, her work could be described as modern impressionism with a feminine outlook.
Finding story in everyday moments, Lara captures snapshots of life that might otherwise go by unnoticed, inviting viewers to remember something innate, to find joy and contentment in life’s ordinariness. In contrast to much of modern life, vying for immediate gratification, her work does not seek to jar, but calls back quietly to something deeply shared in the human story. With this view firmly on her radar, she paints landscape, still-life, portraiture and figures in a sort of peaceful rebellion, doing it the slow way, with ever better eye through hours of practice.
Lara was selected as a Finalist in the Brisbane Portrait Prize, 2023 for the captivating portrait of her daughter, actor Minette Cooper. In 2024 she was awarded the People’s Choice award in the Brisbane Portrait Prize Salon des Refuses.
Lara’s work is also held in various private collections across Australia and globally.
Awards and Recognition
2024 Winner, Second Prize, Queensland Figurative Award, Royal Queensland Art Society (Brisbane)
2024 Winner Peoples Choice Award, Brisbane Portrait Prize Salon des Refuses, Brisbane Qld.
2024 Finalist Brisbane Portrait Prize Salon des Refuses, Brisbane Qld.
2023 Finalist 2023 Brisbane Portrait Prize “A Quiet Ovation”. Brisbane, Qld.
2023 Finalist Du Reitz Art Prize “Self-Sufficient”, Gympie Qld.
2018 Finalist for Du Reitz Art Prize “Exiting the Concrete Jungle” Gympie Qld.
2018 Illustrated children’s book Chandani and the Ghost of the Forest by Lenore Penner and Rosanne Hawke.
July 2017, Finalist Obi Art Prize, Maleny, Qld.
2017 Painting Workshop Leader for young adult prisoners at Kerokoban Prison in Bali, in a supervised situation with Dr. Tina Bailey, Bali, Narwastu Community.
2014-2016 Professional Artist, full-time member of Art @ Auburn Gallery, Auburn SA.
2014, Highly Commended “Faces of Hoss”, Balco Balaklava Art Prize Exhibition, SA.
2014, Received “Special Recognition” in Upstream People Gallery’s Annual All Media Juried Online International Art Exhibition.
2014 Selected for Upstream People Gallery’s Annual All Media Juried Online International Art Exhibition.
2014 Judges Mention “Faces of Hoss” Yorke Peninsula Art Show, Ardrossan, SA
2014 Judges Mention “Innocence – An Endangered Species”, Yorke Peninsula Art Show, Ardrossan, SA
2013 Winner Kernewek Lowender Art Prize, “Il Pagliachi”, Kadina SA
2012 Commendation- Clare Rotary Art Show
2011 People’s Choice Award – “Zella of Florentinos”, Kerneweck Lowender, Kadina SA
2011 Commendation- Clare Rotary Art Show, SA
2009 Selected for Dappled cities album launch, Melbourne Vic
2009 Winner Section 2 Watercolour, King Valley Art Show Vic
2009 Highly Commended, Corowa Art Show, Vic
2008 Highly Commended, Wangaratta Art Show, Vic
2007 Highly Commended, Cobram Art Show, Vic
2007 Highly Commended, Cobram Art Show, Vic
Exhibitions
2018 “Limited/Abundant”, Solo Exhibition, Palmwoods, Qld.
2015 “Stories of Water”, Solo Exhibition, Moonta SA
2013 “Responses to Different and Ordinary” Solo Exhibition, Kadina SA 2012 “Life in any Language” Solo Exhibition, Moonta, SA
Artist Biography
Lara Cooper is a contemporary painter in Oil and Watercolour, producing work based in the observation of beauty and simplicity in real life. With a deep appreciation for the technical skill of painters of bygone eras, and a love for light and texture, her work could be described as modern impressionism with a feminine outlook.
Finding story in everyday moments, Lara captures snapshots of life that might otherwise go by unnoticed, inviting viewers to remember something innate, to find joy and contentment in life’s ordinariness. In contrast to much of modern life, vying for immediate gratification, her work does not seek to jar, but calls back quietly to something deeply shared in the human story. With this view firmly on her radar, she paints landscape, still-life, portraiture and figures in a sort of peaceful rebellion, doing it the slow way, with ever better eye through hours of practice.
Lara was selected as a Finalist in the Brisbane Portrait Prize, 2023 for the captivating portrait of her daughter, actor Minette Cooper. In 2024 she was awarded the People’s Choice award in the Brisbane Portrait Prize Salon des Refuses.
Lara’s work is also held in various private collections across Australia and globally.
Awards and Recognition
2024 Winner, Second Prize, Queensland Figurative Award, Royal Queensland Art Society (Brisbane)
2024 Winner Peoples Choice Award, Brisbane Portrait Prize Salon des Refuses, Brisbane Qld.
2024 Finalist Brisbane Portrait Prize Salon des Refuses, Brisbane Qld.
2023 Finalist 2023 Brisbane Portrait Prize “A Quiet Ovation”. Brisbane, Qld.
2023 Finalist Du Reitz Art Prize “Self-Sufficient”, Gympie Qld.
2018 Finalist for Du Reitz Art Prize “Exiting the Concrete Jungle” Gympie Qld.
2018 Illustrated children’s book Chandani and the Ghost of the Forest by Lenore Penner and Rosanne Hawke.
July 2017, Finalist Obi Art Prize, Maleny, Qld.
2017 Painting Workshop Leader for young adult prisoners at Kerokoban Prison in Bali, in a supervised situation with Dr. Tina Bailey, Bali, Narwastu Community.
2014-2016 Professional Artist, full-time member of Art @ Auburn Gallery, Auburn SA.
2014, Highly Commended “Faces of Hoss”, Balco Balaklava Art Prize Exhibition, SA.
2014, Received “Special Recognition” in Upstream People Gallery’s Annual All Media Juried Online International Art Exhibition.
2014 Selected for Upstream People Gallery’s Annual All Media Juried Online International Art Exhibition.
2014 Judges Mention “Faces of Hoss” Yorke Peninsula Art Show, Ardrossan, SA
2014 Judges Mention “Innocence – An Endangered Species”, Yorke Peninsula Art Show, Ardrossan, SA
2013 Winner Kernewek Lowender Art Prize, “Il Pagliachi”, Kadina SA
2012 Commendation- Clare Rotary Art Show
2011 People’s Choice Award – “Zella of Florentinos”, Kerneweck Lowender, Kadina SA
2011 Commendation- Clare Rotary Art Show, SA
2009 Selected for Dappled cities album launch, Melbourne Vic
2009 Winner Section 2 Watercolour, King Valley Art Show Vic
2009 Highly Commended, Corowa Art Show, Vic
2008 Highly Commended, Wangaratta Art Show, Vic
2007 Highly Commended, Cobram Art Show, Vic
2007 Highly Commended, Cobram Art Show, Vic
Exhibitions
2018 “Limited/Abundant”, Solo Exhibition, Palmwoods, Qld.
2015 “Stories of Water”, Solo Exhibition, Moonta SA
2013 “Responses to Different and Ordinary” Solo Exhibition, Kadina SA 2012 “Life in any Language” Solo Exhibition, Moonta, SA
Exhibiting Galleries
Lara J. Cooper Studio Gallery