Cooper has been painting portraits and self portraits for over 50 years. They are a "response to stress, tragedy, condition or situation or change in the family or uniform of the day."

The self portraits or 'auto portraits' are created "more as a reading to see what I think I look like. It's an energy reading including color of both person and aura. To me, all portraits are readings; it like looking at the of the ocean when the tide is out. I paint portraits to see what color, essence and mood one may communicate to me at a given time. I frequently paint portraits of visitors and guests. It's a kind of communication".

"Figurative painting is a kind of portraiture that includes the whole body wherein the gesture is ultimately important to reveal attitude and atmosphere. I can't always determine where portrait ends end figure occurs."