*Artist Bio*
Definition of Yapes Paints: Yapes = my nickname! Paints = Its what I do!
April (aka Yapes) is a self-taught artist living in White Rock BC. Her career as an artist started in 2007 when she was asked to display her work in a restaurant in Victoria and had huge success. Since then, April has been enjoying living her dream of being an artist selling her work in galleries, art markets and in retail stores around BC.
Having no formal art training, April has learned to paint by experimenting in her studio. She uses acrylic paint and ink to create unique and bold works of art and loves adding other mediums including metal (which her amazing husband Ren helps here with), fabric and paper to give texture to her work. Most well known for her whimsical trees, April also loves to paint bright flowers and funky animals including her long legged birds! Inspiration for her work comes from her love of BC’s outdoors as well as her world travels.
April is also a Registered Nurse having worked in post open heart surgery, palliative care, community care and currently for private family practice as a chronic disease management nurse. She truly values the balance both painting and nursing bring to her life . "Im so thankful for all the support I have had from my family and friends and feel so lucky to have become what I wanted to be since I was a little girl.. an artist!!" Her work is part of private collections in Canada, Asia, the UK and Australia.
Artist Statement
I love the feeling of creating a flowing line with ink and a brush, the excitement and emotion bold colors evoke and the place I loose myself too each time my brush hits the canvas.
It starts with an inspiration from a life experience; something small like a lovely walk outside or something huge like a life lesson just learned. I choose a color signifying the feeling of that experience. I’m not much of a planner when it comes to my paintings. I have the general concept in my mind and let the piece progress organically as I’m working with the acrylic paint. One of my favorite parts of painting is that the end result is often a pleasant surprise. I may also add other mediums including fabrics, metals and papers to my work giving life to some elements such as tree trunks or bird feathers. My work is always finished with clean lines of acrylic ink. My style is unique and has developed over a long time, ever since I was a child. Bold colors, crisp lines, trees with twisting roots, birds with long legs and florals with dancing petals are common themes in my work.
The message in my work is always positive and may be different for every admirer. I use painting as a positive balancing element in my life and I think my true love and passion for it is reflected in my work. I am most well known for my whimsical trees with twisting trunks and reaching branches. They signify deep roots, strong growth and tall ambition.
I show my work in art fairs, galleries, cafes and retail locations around BC. My original paintings are part of private collections in Canada, USA, Australia, Asia and the UK. I plan to continue to create and share my work and am excited to see how my style and skills develop. It’s the start of a long and creative path ahead!
It starts with an inspiration from a life experience; something small like a lovely walk outside or something huge like a life lesson just learned. I choose a color signifying the feeling of that experience. I’m not much of a planner when it comes to my paintings. I have the general concept in my mind and let the piece progress organically as I’m working with the acrylic paint. One of my favorite parts of painting is that the end result is often a pleasant surprise. I may also add other mediums including fabrics, metals and papers to my work giving life to some elements such as tree trunks or bird feathers. My work is always finished with clean lines of acrylic ink. My style is unique and has developed over a long time, ever since I was a child. Bold colors, crisp lines, trees with twisting roots, birds with long legs and florals with dancing petals are common themes in my work.
The message in my work is always positive and may be different for every admirer. I use painting as a positive balancing element in my life and I think my true love and passion for it is reflected in my work. I am most well known for my whimsical trees with twisting trunks and reaching branches. They signify deep roots, strong growth and tall ambition.
I show my work in art fairs, galleries, cafes and retail locations around BC. My original paintings are part of private collections in Canada, USA, Australia, Asia and the UK. I plan to continue to create and share my work and am excited to see how my style and skills develop. It’s the start of a long and creative path ahead!
