Melissa Small Cooper is an oil painter and art educator based in the Hudson Valley. She earned her BFA in Painting and Photography from Hartwick College and went on to receive her MFA in Painting from the Academy of Art University. With over a decade of experience as a public school art teacher, she continues to share her passion for visual art by teaching high school, leading community workshops, and working from her home studio.

Cooper’s current body of work is deeply rooted in her connection to nature, flowers, and motherhood. In her floral series, she draws parallels between cultivating a garden, nurturing blooms, and the ways we tend to human relationships. Her paintings invite viewers to pause, look closely, and reflect as they find meaning in the delicate interplay of petals, shadows, and light. With luminous color palettes, airy compositions, and recurring motifs of cradling hands, Cooper creates work that feels tender and contemplative while remaining playful and uplifting.