Jill Cooper, a Newfoundlander raised Nova Scotia resident, has never strayed far from the water. She is a graduate of Dalhousie University (TUNS) in Halifax with a Masters of Architecture, spent 14 years as a set designer for film/tv in Toronto, and was owner of an art gallery in Chicago.
She has had art shows in Chicago, Halifax, Dartmouth, Bridgewater, Mahone Bay, and Petite Riviere. Her medium is primarily oil paints and, more often than not, features strong elements of women and water.
Statement
Welcome to my world of Women and Waves.
I'm an oil painter who loves color and movement and all things beachy. I was raised in a small village at the edge of a fierce sea and to me, sweeping ocean horizons speak of escape, change, and freedom. My figurative and portrait work tend to invoke similar themes through feminism, climate, and immigration.
In all of my work I am constantly looking to capture the energy, movement, and intensity of our ever-shifting world and the women in it.
I'm also a feminist with 3 awesome daughters, 2 chaotic pets, and 1 talented, author husband. I drink buckets of black coffee, walk my dog on nearby trails, and find myself thinking WTF on a daily basis.
I became the Executive Director of my local Chamber of Commerce in 2025 to connect and help build our local, growing business community AND help myself bridge the gap between my art practice and art business. It continues to be a wild and wonderful ride!