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.