LIVING COLOR: Art at center of Cooper’s life

By Hayley Sylvester

Staff Writer

Art has been the center of Emily Cooper’s life. Her love of art began at a young age, and she has continued to develop her talent for more than 30 years. Cooper worked a regular nine-to-five job like most of us do, dabbling in art here and there, taking commissions and teaching art in schools. Now she is a full-time artist and owns her own studio in Tuscumbia. Her faith and her family have supported her through transition periods when she wasn’t certain she would be able to make her dream a reality.

“I have all of this because God gave me a gift and talent. I have always had encouragement and support from my family,” Cooper said. She taught art part-time starting in 2018. Cooper said her family encouraged her or rather “convinced” her to teach. Her first teaching job was at Howell Graves preschool in Muscle Shoals. She also taught a summer program for schools in Franklin County. Cooper said the best part about teaching was seeing a child’s joy and delight that they created something all by themselves. That joy was infectious, and Cooper decided she wanted to teach art full-time.

Stepping out on faith, and, with her husband Jay’s full and financial support, Cooper opened her first studio in Tuscumbia. After a few venue changes, Cooper has been at her current studio since October 2022. Part of her studio is a shop where she sells quality art supplies that aren’t available at stores in the area. Customers have come from Huntsville, Decatur, and Mississippi to purchase supplies from her.

In the studio portion, Cooper teaches lessons for children and adults. “My eighteen-year-old self would not believe that I would be standing in front of 100 people talking and teaching them to paint,” Cooper said. Lessons can be one-on-one or for a group. She teaches students how to paint with watercolors and acrylics and is considering adding a drawing class and an oil painting class. She also uses the studio for private parties, birthday parties, or for church groups looking for a fun activity.

In August, Cooper will be traveling to France to attend a Christian art retreat. She was one of twelve people chosen. Each day the attendees will study with a different artist in a building that is a renovated abbey. Cooper’s parents are helping her achieve this once-in-a-lifetime event. She plans on visiting Paris and seeing the Louvre – “No matter what it costs!”

Cooper plans on holding two events at the Cottagecore Festival on May 10. World Collage Day is May 10, and local artist Taryn Jackson will teach a collage class at the studio from 11:00a.m. until 2:00p.m. Then Cooper is hosting an “Open Paint” session from 2:00p.m. onwards. The “Open Paint” session is for anyone who wants to come and go as they please and pick their own project to paint.

Come see her at Emily Cooper Studio and Art Supply at 108 North Main Street in Tuscumbia. Visit her online for the latest event schedules at www.emilycooperstudio.com. Also check out her Facebook page at EmilyCooperStudio.