Meet Scott Cooper | Artist & Graphic Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Scott Cooper and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Scott, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Primarily it was getting out of the conventional workforce and having the ability to spend my time working on or contributing primarily to my artwork. After a hiatus from my corporate graphic design career, I searched for another one, but after working unhappily in a corporate atmosphere for a few years, I was looking for something new and different, and was really struggling to find somewhere I genuinely wanted to work. I have a chronic illness and used to work remotely, but that became something that was getting harder and harder to find after the Covid scare was over. Working for myself pretty much became a necessity, and I saw the benefits of selling my art and having the freedom to do more art. Things like Patreon and social media have made making a living off of art much more accessible, so there are a lot more opportunities to sell artwork than there used to be even 10 years ago. I’ve also just always wanted to make art for a living, it’s been my dream since I was young. Running a business together has been a dream of my partner as well, so having the opportunity to work together on a shared dream was a great motivation to start the business. I honestly can’t imagine a better job than spending time with my partner all day working together on a business and creating art together.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My artwork is primarily drawings, though I also have a passion for lithography. I love working in graphite and soft pastel, and feel like they’re the mediums that best represents the aesthetic and look that I’m going for in my work. Much of my art is about myself and my navigation through experiences such as chronic illness, depression, anxiety, abuse, and the more negative aspects of life. Because my work often comes from a somewhat dark place, I make sure that the aesthetic and look of the work evokes those same feelings not just in myself, but in others as well, so that they can potentially relate to the work more closely. This can be done not just through imagery depicting figures in certain scenarios, but also through color and subtext, and that’s something that I’m proud to have been able to accomplish with my work. I would say that I have work on both ends of the spectrum, and only occasionally try to find a middle ground. I create work that’s often very detailed and line-oriented, but I also have much more ethereal soft pastel and charcoal pieces. Regardless of the aesthetic, the intention is always the same, which is to try and elicit a response or connection from/with the viewer. Maybe for just a second they feel seen after seeing a piece, or alternatively, maybe they see and understand me, if only for a second.

It definitely didn’t feel like it was easy. When I was younger I was much more confident, so things went a lot smoother in my early 20’s, but as I grew older, some of that confidence started to wane. I didn’t really know exactly what I wanted to do. I always felt it was an act of hubris to go out and look for gallery owners and try and get them to notice or look at my work, so eventually I just stopped trying. I got into graphic design for around 10+ years, but became a little disillusioned working in a corporate environment. So, the last year or so, my partner and I have been really making an effort to try and make money from my artwork. She’s done an amazing job of pushing me through the imposter syndrome stuff and my lack of confidence, and has really been the one that made this business even possible. I take care of the artwork and she takes care of the rest. It’s still not easy, but it’s definitely easier with her help.

We’ve learned a LOT of lessons along the way. I would say the main one is “Start early”, or alternatively, “Be prepared”. Our first art fair was far from a nightmare, but it was definitely stressful leading up to it. Part of it was inexperience, and another part of it was thinking we had more time for some things than we really did. To be fair, this was mostly a problem on MY part as opposed to my partner, but it was still a lesson that we learned quick.

As far as what I would want the world to know about my brand and story, it would ultimately be that they’re not alone. I think the most important part of making art to me is the connection with the viewer. My primary goal with my art is for someone to look at a piece of mine and see a part of themselves in it, for better or worse. If not a part of their current selves, maybe they notice a remnant of their past, and maybe that makes them look at their current reality a little differently. Maybe it reminds you of someone you love, or maybe it’s something as simple as seeing that someone else out there is dealing with the same things you are, and made it through. Hopefully that provides inspiration for them to continue to push through whatever hardship they’re experiencing.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
It’s embarrassing to admit, but in the almost 10 years I’ve lived in Dallas, I very rarely go out, so I’m not very familiar with the Dallas night life at all. I would definitely recommend the DMOA or the Perot Museum to anyone who hasn’t been there, and maybe the botanical gardens as well, especially on a nice day. I would also definitely recommend the zoo. As far as anything food-related though, I unfortunately have a chronic illness which limits the foods I can eat, so I’m not much on going out for food or drinks. I’m a pretty boring person for the most part, but if there’s a good band playing, I’ll usually allow myself to get dragged along to watch a performance.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
It would 100% be my spouse Allison Cooper. She’s stood by me when I wasn’t confident in myself, and nurtured me until I finally was. She’s allowed me the time and space to pursue a risky career, but she’s been nothing but supportive even when we both had our doubts. I absolutely wouldn’t be anywhere close to where I am today without her. She’s an amazing life partner and business partner to boot.
Also, another shoutout to my design mentor David Chioffi. Without his help and guidance, I never would have pursued a career in graphic design. He changed the way I looked and thought about graphic design.

Website: https://www.scottcooperart.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottcooperart/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottbot5000/

Image Credits
Scott Cooper