Contemporary Paintings

                                             
                                                   A Man of Few Words but Read Many                                                                                                                       Acrylic on Paper

It has been good to work solely with brushes again. Big brushes. You can't get too many small details but you can make your color values work harder for you instead. This is a painting of my Dad reading the newspaper. This is a cropped section of it. When you see a photo of someone you don't always see their personality...that is what the artist adds. My recent studies have been contemporary paintings.


If you're on Instagram visit @carolyapfineart

Light and Shadows With a Smile

Bring out the brushes. One to be exact. I did some very loose portrait studies on paper in acrylic. I limited myself to one big flat brush. These were done in one sitting. The light and shadow colors play off of each other here. The light was coming from the right side so I put in dark blue on the left. It gives the composition more interest and balance. I think a bundle of books could be written on skin colors. Some artists are a little secretive about their color formulas. Mine are warm because she is a "Sunny" person!

Links to more of my work.



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Works in Progress

Inspirational wall or influential wall. What ever you want to call it, other than a mood board, that is what I am making. I could have a complete wall full of portraits of artists. There are many that have influenced my work. It could be their use of color, their brushstrokes, composition and other brilliant uses of paint. These are in the process of being painted in my style. Many didn't have photographs of themselves so I am painting from their self portraits. This Van Gogh painting is still in progress, but here is a cropped section of it. It only got 1/2 hour slot in my day. Will post more when completed. 

If you are on Instagram you can find me at Carol Yap Fine Art 

Find me on Google Plus under Carol L Yap

Browse my paintings for sale on Saatchi Art under Carol Yap

Watercolor Self Portrait

If our lives are like a field I have many furrows on my self portraits.  But then sheet music has lines so surely our portraits can be like music which is hidden between the lines and above and beyond them as well. I did this today on white watercolor paper and then digitally gave it a background color. I would gladly paint anyone else but myself. The good points are that the model is free. If I can use the word "model" and my name in a sentence is questionable.

Learning and getting comfortable painting my self portraits is my job this week. Hopefully your week is just as fun.

More of my art can be seen on Saatchi Art

Modern Expressionism Self Portrait

If anyone wants a good laugh try painting a self portrait. They are amusing. Modern art is meant to entertain. The shocking part is that you also see some family resemblances right before you. Can that be? Yes. Very much so. So those artists of old who painted many self portraits were no doubt had a great sense of humor. They also learned valuable lessons from each portrait.

Here I am with all of my flaws and stories that show on my face...  A wonderful truth about modern expressionism is that we can put equal amounts of feeling and color in our paintings.

A painting can tell as much as a novel!

View more of my modern expressionist paintings on Saatchi Art

Hawaiiana Paintings Today

                                                                 
                                                                     Work in Progress

Today I got out the brushes and left my palette knife alone. It's an odd feeling, but keeps the cobwebs out of my brain by using them again. And everyone knows I could use a little brain help. The good part of making fun of myself is I know when to stop. Right after I've started.

Working with paint brushes gives me wider strokes that is for sure. I can't guarantee that I won't use my palette knife on this, but for now I am resisting. This photograph was taken 45 minutes after I started painting. I want it loose and impressionistic so I've stopped now in the creative process to evaluate. Most likely the finished painting will be for sale online at Saatchi Art

I've started this new group of portraits from my memories of an old store in Hawaii now closed, but I used to go there alot. It was called, "Gems." It was just a short walk away. All of the Hawaiian ladies use to sit on the benches outside in the shade while their families shopped inside or just to "talk story" and rest their feet. Ninety nine percent of the ladies had their hair pulled back and fresh flowers pinned in. Young and old alike. There were large white plumeria trees against the building that tossed their blossoms to us. Most were swept away every morning, but that didn't stop the trees from sharing their fragrant blooms during the day.

 

Just My Feet Beach Painting

                                                                        Just My Feet
                                                       Acrylic on Hardwood Panel Board  
                                                               July 30, 2015 Carol Yap  



Yesterday was one of  those days where I got the run around trying to get a simple document. I was told that I would need to get additional documents even though I brought what I was told to bring. So one quick stop turned into many stops. Now the good news....it brought about this painting.

One way to unwind for me is to paint. Paint something calming, soothing and make the churning colors look like they were made for each other. Being energized can yield some creativity on the canvas as I unleash it rapidly with a palette knife and paint.

There is something calming about walking on the beach. The waves throw themselves at my feet and yet the ocean is so powerful. The sand crabs scurry along in bursts. They are some of the tiniest creatures that call the beach their home. Their safe haven.



    

Paul McCartney Beatles Portrait

                                                                       
                                                                        "Vinyl Man"
                                                                     Portrait Painting

When the Beatles came to America I was probably seven years old. My older sister carried a transistor radio with her as the Beatles were catching on fire everywhere they went. This also was about the time Barbie dolls came out and this was what I thought about...but the Beatles tunes are very catchy. My older brother had an old-school-bus-yellow-Chevrolet station wagon that he called,  "The Yellow Submarine." We didn't get to live in it though. He drove it to high school, his part time job at Baskin-Robbins, and school dates.

Fast forward quite a number of years (key words, quite a number)  and I was at Union Station in Washington DC. I went into a Starbucks and asked to buy a limited edition Paul McCartney Starbucks gift card. The young man looked at me and he turned to another young man and told him my request. Of course, he looked at me and there was a gathering in the back while they chatted out of ear shot. Finally someone came out of the office as they were locked in the safe and I got one of the last ones! I think these young men thought that I was there in the day and they were witnessing a Beatles fan relic. I was looking back at a group of young Beatle fans.  That card is still in my possession hidden away so well I don't know where exactly it's at.

All between then and now Paul McCartney is now Sir Paul, but the same likable musician. My portrait of him is painting in a modern expressionist style of Sir Paul in his youth.

Painting available for sale and in print at Saatchi Art online. Enjoy.

  

Hawaiiana Paintings

Work in Progress

I've been working on some Hawaiiana paintings at home. This one I started one day but didn't have enough time to finish. I feel like my paintings are more fluid and flowing when I begin and finish in one setting. There are perks of  painting in different settings. I analyzed the colors and made some changes. I'm not sure I am 100% happy with this one yet so that is why I am not showing this in full color yet. It looks more vintage in black and white here. That brings up the subject of photographing your paintings in black and white to critique paintings. . It helps to analyze  pattern, texture and all over design. Let the camera be the silent critic. Smiles.

When this acrylic painting is complete I'll be listing it for sale on Saatchi Art 

Color, Shape and Expression Art

                                                                       Electricity
                                                            Acrylic on Hardboard
                                                                       Carol Yap      

This painting describes how I feel about Summer. An explosion of color, movement, and freedom. I painted this yesterday with a palette knife and acrylics in silence alone with my wandering thoughts of thankfulness. A horse bucks and jumps because it is free. Energy flies every which way. That thought in itself is beautiful. Here is how I expressed it in an expressionist-impressionist style.

Is everyone having a great Summer? With rain every day here we are living in a green jungle. The lawnmowers and weeder barely get cool before they are started up again. Tree seedlings have shot up 6 ft or more in a month.  We live in a jungle of green.

Find out more about my paintings here.

Fauvism Painting

                           
                                                                   Garden Contours
                                                                    Acrylic Painting
                                                                      by Carol Yap


This is the time of bounty in the garden. Everything lush, blooming and growing like mad. One thing ends it's bloom cycle and another takes center stage. Lilacs, daffodils, tulips are finished blooming. Now it's peonies, iris, allium, azealeas and more! It's also hot, sticky thunderstorm weather, but that is what summer heat loving plants love. Like Dahlias and Cannas.

I'm still in the gardening mode even inside. Garden Contours is a portrait I painted yesterday. Basically I was feeling free and yet connected to the garden. The style is Fauvism, Impressionism, Expressionism and Modern Art. Does any artist fall into one category? Fauvism consisted of a small group of eclectic artists that painted landscapes and portraits in bright non realistic colors or in tonal hues.  It would have been shocking from the darker paintings of the Old Masters and rather delicious colors.

There are prints for sale at Saatchi Art online. They mail the prints directly to you.

Hawaiiana Paintings

                                                                      Sea Bird Painting


Lately I see the grain in so many things. Not just wood, but in contours of faces, in the soil, in the water. Ocean water is moving and we would think there isn't any grain in it. There is...and it moves along with the wind. Today I watch the tall fields of hay waving and the grains, or patterns, that were visible were beautiful.
I love looking at topography maps. It's like looking at a Hawaiian quilt with the stitches around the center pattern. Intriguing. That is how I use a palette knife in my art.

The above painting, Sea Bird, was completed today. I've had it up on the wall for a few days and decided it was complete after I added a little more today. It is a portrait of a Polynesian girl. What do you see in it? Do you see determination? Grace? It is for sale. Stop by my paintings at Saatchi Art. to find out more.

Children's Portraits in Progress

                                                                     Portrait Progress

I was able to work on this large portrait for another 45 minutes. I chose to take the classical portrait route with brushes and not a palette knife thus far. It needs more work but I wanted to show this childrens portrait painting in progress. This is a section of it and it's pretty detailed.

The reason I chose to paint this with brushes has it's reasons.

1. I read an editorial on an art site that said people who proclaim they are self taught artists and have not been to art school never paint hands. In essence the artist was saying we can't paint a classical portrait with hands in the painting or paint people for that matter either. Yes, this portrait has both hands in it. You will see the unveiling of the complete portrait.

2. As an artist it's good to show your artistic ability with any tool. I read of one Old Master's painting that had his fingerprints all over in the painting. They actually counted them. Yes.

3. It's a large painting and it would use a little less paint with brushes.

4. Back to number one all over again..

I love how the sun rays dance around in this painting. There is so many reflections bouncing off every which way.

To be continued.

 

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Childrens Portraits - Creative Process

Behind the scenes I am diligently working. This portrait I started today. I've had many interruptions, but that is fine each time I come back I have a few more questions for myself. Some answers are clear and some a bit fuzzy. The creative process is an open zone to ideas. This one I started with a big brush and it's a larger painting on canvas. Am I  going to use brushes to complete or just to get some color and composition on the canvas? That's one of the fuzzy questions...and it better get clear as I'm at the intersection and people will start hollering if I don't proceed in one direction or the other.  It is my choice though as I'm the artist. So I deliberate with luxury and a lemonade. I try to focus on the end result, and the possibilities keep popping up.

Every day we are presented with questions and possibilities and we race through them  with, "Yes," and "No," and "Someday," or "Never."  We are almost computerized, but a painting is a work of passion and when it comes to love, we don't want to mess up. Possibly I will show you much progress tomorrow on this painting. For now I will have another glass of lemonade (it's finally wonderfully warm here) and think about the background. Do I want it full to the brim or rather simple? Decisions. Decisions. I really love the creative process at this moment.

Do check out some of my original paintings paintings for sale at Saatchi Art.  

If you want to see photographs of paintings and very little talking you can visit my Google Chrome posts 

Enjoy!

Art Pillows and Prints For Sale

My printed fabric is for sale in different throw pillow sizes! 

This one above is made from my art work.

Punch up the color a few notches and liven your interior decor.

Two different coordinating prints available at Fine Art America.

Most everyone knows I am crazy about flowers.

Our roses are still more than half dormant.

Today it was a balmy 81 so things will start blossoming overnight.

 Link to my many-sized-plush pillows here.

There are also two of my palette knife painting prints for sale.

Pink is refreshing and such a cheery color especially when offset by teal,

 lavender, green and gold.

Prints also for sale here.

Spring has rolled in after many attempts!  I can't wait to do some plein air painting 

before the onset of gnats and mosquitos, but I am not complaining one bit.

Painting Montana's Prairie

                 
                                                                Painting In Progress


I'm currently working on this acrylic painting hoping to finish tonight. It's a painting of the Montana prairie, a mustang pony, and a family member. I'll be the first to say this has a punch of color. My Dad would always say he thought the most beautiful landscape was in Eastern Montana. When I was little and we visited I thought it looked barren, but these grassy plains were my Dad's playground when he was growing up in a large family. They raised sheep and cattle and they didn't have fences except in a barnyard corral. They all herded sheep. Someone had to be out there with them all of the time. These days you see field after field of wheat in the Summer. Also pheasant, elk, quail and a long list of fowl and animals.

I tried to get the richness of the colors when the sun gets a bit lower.There is so much sky out there. I made it darker than I normally would to set off the grasses.  The grasses are remarkable in the late afternoon and much darker. For this painting I actually brushed in a sketch of the mustang pony (what you see) and now I have to paint it with a knife and touch up the man. That of course will prompt me to do a little more here and there. The creative process. Some days it's so smooth you can't believe it. Other days, well, it's a little longer road to the finish line.

Thank you for visiting. Leave a comment if you like.

This will be for sale online with Saatchi Art

Princess Kaiulani Painting

                                         
                                                               Princess Kaiulani Painting
                                                                       11 x 14 inches

In Hawaii there are many places, parks, schools, hotels, and buildings named after this beautiful young princess in Hawaii's Royal Family. She is still carried in the hearts of Hawaii's people and will not be forgotten. Princess Kaiulani was half Hawaiian and half Scottish. Her mother was Princess Miriam Likelike (a descendent of King Kamehameha I) and her father, Archibald Scott Cleghorn who came to Hawaii from Scotland.

It was said of Princess Kaiulani when she was alive, "It is impossible not to like her." That is still true today.

I painted this in an Expressionist and Impressionist style with a palette knife in a painterly fashion used by the old masters such as Van Gogh and Madge Tennent. Madge painted a number of Hawaiian people when she lived in Hawaii.

This portrait painting of Crown Princess Victoria Kaiulani Kawekio I Lunalilo Kalaninuiahilapalapa Cleghorn is available for sale through Saatchi Art. $1,300.00  More details and link here.

Did you know that King Kalakaua of Hawaii met Thomas Edison in New York in 1881? On King Kalakaua's birthday, November 16, 1886 Iolani Palace was lit with electricity. In the year 1888, Princess Kaiulani flipped the switch that lit the town's streets.  

Miss Kolden Impressionist Painting

                                                                       
                                                                       "Miss Kolden"
                                                                      Masonite Board
                                                                       For sale here.

There is something peaceful about painting. I hope that is one thing that might show up in my paintings.

I've noticed in my portraits, this one included, that the eyes never look directly at the viewer. My goal is to make them look slightly relaxed and approachable.  I say, "Slightly." I also mean, "amused, thinking, shy, or busy."

Today it was a delicious temperature,  in the 70's. It made me wonder how these ladies in the1800's and early 1900's wore all of these long sleeves and long dresses, etc. in the summer months? And happily cooked over a wood stove. One thing we know. they probably weren't cold. Whew!

The garden will start popping open  flowers like popcorn after a few warm days. I can't wait to paint some of the gems. Hopefully their happy faces will be obliged.

Abraham Lincoln Portrait

                                                                       14 x 11 inches
                                                                           Acrylic
                                                                         Carol Yap    

This painting started out with brushwork and I was going to leave it like that. It did stay that way for a few days and every time I walked by it, I thought, "I have to change it."  When the opportunity to paint came I changed it to a palette knife portrait and the looks are much different. Raw and meaningful I would describe it. More texture, more personality, more courtroom wear and tear of a young lawyer. The former was too smooth and we know his life wasn't exactly smooth. All of these things reminded  me of other painters and their feelings about painting.

Edgar Degas, "Only when he no longer knows what he is doing does the painter do good things."

Degas also said, "Painting is very easy when you don't know how, but very difficult when you do."

The funny thing is I understand both of these conflicting statements. When we are painting we are a mixed bag of emotions. Degas painted around forty self portraits at the beginning of his career. Edgar's stomach must have sank and lifted a few times.

Details of Abraham Lincoln's portrait painting for sale here.

Van Gogh's Birthday

                                                                 
                                                                   Mind Word Threads
                                                                           Acrylic
                                                                           8 x 10
                                                                        Carol Yap


Yesterday, March 30th was Van Gogh's birthday. I must say I did think of him when I used a palette knife for this painting yesterday.  For me the palette knife gives energy and vibrancy to the canvas regardless of the color used. Van Gogh used brushwork for that. He could paint four green vegetables against a green background and it looked great.  Do you think he had those moments during painting where you feel you are balancing on the brink of disaster or genius? Which is felt momentarily about half way through a painting, but dissolves as you continue to paint. There was an "Aha" moment for me when I looked into this painting and saw a resemblence of myself. This was painted from an old black and white photograph of one of my ancestors. The image was about the size of my thumb so it didn't give me much to go on, but was a start.    

Mind Word Threads is now available at Saatchi Art 

                      

Electric Portraits

                                                                           SOLID
                                                                 Acrylic on Hardboard
                                                                       10 x 8 inches
                                                                         Carol Yap

Anyone need their portrait painted? I have completed three portrait paintings in the last week and it's given me confidence to continue. This fine gentleman above is my Great Grandfather who passed before I was born. I do know this about him that he loved dark, strong coffee and worked hard from dusk to dawn for his family. Hopefully this shows in the painting? I think the energy is present at least. I will move forward onto the next fourth portrait.

I've listed a few more recent acrylic paintings for sale online at Saatchi Art. You can view my painting there by this link. There are many artists there that have been through art school. Since I didn't go to Art School there is a bit of white empty space in that box area. Gah. I will work hard and try to fill my portfolio with great art. I do believe that art is alot about emotions mixed with color and composition, brushwork, etc. Emotions I understand. Color I understand. It's funny because there are no two artists "exactly" alike. With every painting I create it's like weaving Emotions, Color, Brushwork, (or texture) and composition together by my internal creative genius. Some days present some days hiding. Everyone is born with one inside. We just have to wake it up and make it work, work, work.              

Seven O'Clock Painting

                                                                        Seven O'Clock

                                                                            Acrylic
                                                                          Carol Yap

I've had a crush on teal and orange for a bit now. Teal always represents the tropics for me like Tahiti, Fiji and those faraway-warm-South-Pacific places. Then there are the beautiful vintage Mexican wedding dresses in teal that are striking, too. A teal tablecloth, flowers and fruit are the next best thing to the balmy, beach. Who can pass up flowers? 

This painting is titled Seven O'Clock because that is when the first rays shine through the window lately.  I used a  8 x 10-inch hardboard panel, acrylics and a palette knife. Every small painting I paint I feel like I see a little growth. Do any of you see it? No need to answer that!  It is for sale now with Saatchi Art. It is such a joy to paint. Sure we might have a little frustration, but we figure it out, and sail on.    

Nine O'clock Painting

                                       
                                                                       Nine O'clock
                                                                          Acrylic


Spring is starting to announce it's arrival. Today two Canada geese arrived. I believe one of the two is from some eggs we hatched out years back. Yes! The other day as I was taking a coffee break I loved how the light was on the table with my oranges so I had to paint it. It's finished and I have listed it with Saatchi Art  Feel free to link over.

I read the best quote for us artists the other day on Instagram.

Pablo Picasso, "Painting is manual; it is physical. You find in the materials with your hands. You have a blank piece of canvas. The picture is already there. You scrape for it. It's like digging potatoes."

The Paris Review no. 32 Summer Fall 1964

PleinAir Salon Contest

Reminder to all artists.  There are only a few more days left to enter the annual PleinAir Salon Contest. Grand Prize is $15,000. That should get everyone's attention. It surely got mine. There are also First, Second and Third prizes as well.  It's only $35. to enter first painting and $15. for each painting entered therafter. Just what exactly are the judges looking for? Find out here. Exciting! Deadline is March 15th at midnight. I'm hoping to enter.

Here is the link to submit photographs of your best outdoor paintings. Winning art gets featured on the front of PleinAir Magazine plus you will get to stand center stage in Monterey, California in April and receive check and mingle shoulder to shoulder to some of the best Plein Air painters around. Sublime.

Barns Contemporary Painting

                                                                       
                                                                        Familiar Faces

My palette knife was put away for brushes. I must go outside my comfort zone to grow and think about design and composition in an abstract way. You don't see many sharp edges in my paintings and that changed today. All of my art must have meaning from myself, coming from within.

These two barns are on the farm and I see them often when I look out the window. We used to run up and down the ladder, stack hay high in the loft and look for kittens in them.  They are familiar features in the landscape and they have a fond place in my heart. This is how I saw them today! I painted this abstract landscape with acrylic paint on cotton canvas.

It was below zero this morning with so many closings, both business and schools, that it was a good time to work on some art projects here. I hope you have a great weekend.

Contemporary Art

                                                           
                                                                     Work in Progress
                                                           
                                                                 Contemporary Painting


My first cityscape painting in progress with a palette knife. The sunset makes little things here and there glow like at no other time of the day.  The bright under painting helps me not to forget my mission. This painting is more of a study for a much larger one, but it is my first and I have much to learn. I might be getting a bit more painting in as the forecast this morning said we could get 6-10 inches of snow tonight.  Not really a shocker. My phone has been delivering similar texts almost daily for the last month.

Here is some inspiration from Eli Klein in New York, "Negative feelings from viewers of an exhibition are often indicators of a successful show. It's much better for the audience to leave thinking about the artwork, even in a negative way, than with no emotional response at all." Don't you love this?

Flower and Sugar Art

                                                                            Side One    

                                                                       Flower and Sugar 

                                                                      Carol Yap Painting

          

My hand healed enough to finish some palette knife paintings. Here is a sneak peak of one side of my 8 x 8 x 8 inch box that I painted for The Artists Gallery Auction in Frederick. With all of the Winter snow and ice we continue to see how could I not go bold and brilliant? It is also March and the ground is still frozen solid.  There are five painted sides, three are bright and two are toned down, but hold their own weight against the others. 

Opening reception is March 7th Saturday,  from 5-9 pm at 216 N. Market Street, Frederick, Maryland. Located right next to Volt Restaurant. Make it an evening!   Check out their menu.

Modern Art Portrait Painting

I've never painted a portrait of my Mother before. She is very active for her age and keeps on the move. I snapped a photo of her all bundled up with scarves and coat reading her mail in the car. The light bounces off the letter up to her face which prompted me to document it. This Winter has been cold and in the single digits often, since my Mother grew up in Montana, all of these wrappings seem appropriate.

The best modern portraits represent character and symbolism. Here I start with a palette knife to capture her inner psyche and vitality more than an exact duplicate of her features.

As an artist you are "given" many choices and consider them a gift. To paint her looking directly at the viewer or more of a casual pose? Warm or cool palette?  Since this is not a commissioned portrait I am free to paint entirely from the heart.

There are a number of societies and associations of portrait painters. For Classic Portraits,  Portrait Society of America and The International Society of Portrait Artists  and many others.

Carol Yap Website
 

Expressionism Portraits

A portion of a painting I started the other day and I had hoped to complete today. Fate had other plans as I burnt my right hand carrying firewood and slipped on the wet floor... throwing out my right hand on the nearest thing, the wood stove, to catch myself. Honey does wonders for burns but it will take a few days.

My interpretation of expressionism is quite simple, "Energy running rampant and giving the painting a pulse."

Expressionism. "A style of painting, music, or drama in which the artist or the writer seeks to express emotional experience rather than impressions of the external world." Google.

"An artistic movement of the mid 20th century comprising diverse styles and techniques and emphasizing especially an artist's liberty to convey attitudes and emotions through nontraditional and usually nonrepresentational means." Webster in describing abstract expressionism.

If you have a few minutes in between catching the subway or metro read about the 19th and 20th century Expressionist painters here. Refresh your Art History.

Carol Yap Paintings

MICA Baltimore Self Portrait Show

Raoul Middleman is exhibiting his 50 years of self portraits at Mica in Baltimore through March 6th. I hope to be able get to see it soon.  But I've been thinking about self portraits...as the last person I want to paint is myself. Is it because I have to paint the good, the bad, the ugly, and find the beautiful? Or is it because I have to get better acquainted with myself. Dig down deep and sort things through?

MICA curator Caitlin Tuck-Melvin has this to say, "Middleman is part of the rich history of painters capturing themselves in paint, and through his self portraits we see someone who is exploring himself, unafraid to be ugly or vulnerable."  So that sums it up for me. We have to be fearless in our exploring and painting ourselves. It's alot more than color and composition. It's confronting ourselves.   

MICA's galleries are free and open to everyone. Hours are 10 am-5 pm Monday through Saturday.  Sundays the hours are 12-5 pm. If you can't make the trip do visit Raoul's website. 

Carol Yap Paintings

The Box Art Show - Frederick

Design. The Box Show is all about design and art. Don't just "make do" with what's given you, make it marvelous art. Many are participating in the 14th Annual Box Show in Frederick, Maryland at The Artists Gallery.  It is a fundraiser for the artist owned gallery and a chance for artists to explore all areas...sculpture, woodworking, painting, and the freedom to put your design stamp on it. The rules are...there are no rules, basically.  I'm pretty sure I got that correct because I kept asking. I was even told by another artist, "You can even burn it." But then I would have to do something artsy with ashes.

The 8 x 8 x 8 plywood cube box is before me and it may no longer be a cube box when I am finished. It will definitely have some paint on it and that is about all I can reveal at this time. The design process is a little like riding a ferris wheel. Stop and Go. Highs and lows.  It's going to be a treat to see what 60 artists come up!  Definitely psyched!

Show and silent auction runs from March 6 through March 28.  

Carol Yap Paintings

Table Conversation Art

Table Conversation

Acrylic

Carol Yap

This red coffee cup is from United Airlines It really has been around the world a few times. My mother had sang praises about them to the stewardess. Just the right size, shape and weight. She has never liked large coffee mugs, but then she doesn't need coffee daily like her daughter.  The stewardess said she could keep it if she liked since they were changing over at that time to different cups.     

I used a palette knife for this painting for an expressionist and impressionistic feel. This past week I managed to get up a Carol Yap Facebook account. Hop over to visit.  We've been hit with cold weather and snow here on the East Coast. Shoveling again. I have coffee. I am fine.  

Carol Yap Artist

Painting Whites - Snow and Chickens

                                                                         Deliberate
                                                                        5 x 7 inches
                                                                          Acrylic

We have a few chickens left from the original free ranging flock. Out here in the country the devilish foxes have taken a few. Chickens are fabulous seedling thinners--that is both bad and good--and bug catchers. We are alike in one area that we all  would rather be outdoors and in the gardens.

With all of the snow we are having it doesn't deter the girls much. Snow is one of those things that can be painted many different ways, warm or cool.    Here is how I painted a white chicken on white snow with a palette knife in acrylics. Not just any chicken but one of my little chickens.  

Stop by The Artists Gallery in Frederick Maryland this month of February. Hours are Friday - Sunday 12-5pm. A  floral-bouquet-palette-knife painting of mine is for sale there in the Le Salon show. You can find me on Twitter now.

Also visit more of my art here.

You can leave a message here or email me here.

Palette Knife Painting

                                                                       
                                                                      Mesmerized
                                                                     8 x 10 inches
                                                                        Acrylic    
                                                                           
My name is Carol Yap. My heart is so full of good things that I want to share them on canvas.
For me the best way to do this is with palette knives.
I like paintbrushes both little and big and every type.
You see, the difference is that I adore palette knifes.Why, you ask?My mind cannot worry about the small details.It is free....to flow...and simply express itself.And sometimes I have a lot to say with paint.Painting is like dancing in the rain.I am not so aware of my surroundingsas I am of my emotions. 

                                                   Stop by my Facebook page and say Hi.