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.              

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.