With parents who worked as freshwater ecologists, Cooper was often surrounded with nature and animal forms from all over the world. This combined with her interest in folklore and the "exploration of human experience, psychology, and philosophy through a surreal lens," is what brings her art to life. Her artwork often emits a magical aura.

Cooper has mentioned Hokusai, Hiroshige, Sargent, Leyendecker, Haeckel, Audubon, Mucha, Toulouse-Lautrec, Steinlen and Cheret as artists that have also inspired her.