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. 

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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.

 

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.

  

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.

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