Born and raised in Louisiana, Laura Cooper began life surrounded by water. Her childhood home was on the banks of the Vermilion Bayou in Lafayette. She has fond memories of watching the tugboats push barges from the Gulf of Mexico as she was sitting on her back porch. She often went on fishing trips with her family in Louisiana and Upstate New York, where her father’s family summered for generations. This early exposure to the maritime world led her to capture the beauty of sailing on canvas. Her work combines a unique relationship between atmosphere and light while maintaining a painterly feel.  Her art is in collections around the world.

She is a Signature Member and the Treasurer of the American Society of Marine Artists (ASMA).

Recent awards include:

2023 Bronze medal, Regional Guild of Boston Artists Exhibition

2017 Thomas M. Hoyne III Award in the International Marine Art Exhibition at the Maritime Gallery at Mystic Seaport, Mystic, CT

2016 Maritime Gallery Yachting Award in the International Marine Art Exhibition at the Maritime Gallery at Mystic Seaport, Mystic, CT

2015 Rudolph J. Schaefer III Emerging Artist Award in the International Marine Art Exhibition at the Maritime Gallery at Mystic Seaport, Mystic, CT

2008 Duxbury Art Association Winter Juried Show – Second Place; South Shore Art Center Arts Festival – Best in Show; Quincy Art Association Arts Fest – Honorable Mention; Plymouth Guild Forty First Annual Juried Art Show – Honorable Mention

2006 Mary James and Slater-Brown Memorial Award, Rockport Art Association Contributing Members Show