Coogan has a strong interest in capturing both landscapes and cityscapes in a representational manner that touches on impressionism . During the summer while working at the Jersey Shore, he favors ocean vistas, which lean heavily towards a more abstract manner. He enjoys beginning a painting "plein air" to experience a subject in more than visual terms. He works in oils primarily and favors larger canvas sizes.

A long-term summer resident of Barnegat Light, NJ, Coogan resides in Wilmington, DE off-season, where he has practiced veterinary medicine for forty-five years.

He has studied at the Corcoran School of Art, Washington, D.C., the Delaware Art Museum and the Delaware College of Art and Design in Wilmington, DE. He studied extensively with the late Delaware artist, Edward Loper Sr., whose advocacy for the "Barnes Philosophy" of art influenced him greatly.