CRAIG TRAPP
Greetings All!
Artistically, this year has been so interesting. My painting is significantly influenced by what is happening in the world at large, as well as my more intimate, personal, world. There is so much happening in our world at large; much turmoil, much uncertainty. Some of this finds a way to sneak into my thoughts, and into my painting.
Earlier this year I had cataract surgery, and now have new lenses in both eyes. To say I can see more clearly now is a huge understatement. All that was blurred and out of focus, is now sharp and clear, with color intensity I have not enjoyed for some time. As a result, I have been painting with a renewed sense of adventure and freedom.
There are fresh landscapes to peruse. And, there are new abstract paintings to enjoy in the "All Green Lights" collection. What does "All Green Lights" mean? This is when, after choosing theme and color scheme, I paint as if I am driving and I encounter all green lights. Power on! No doubting or second guessing! This is my purest and least self-conscious painting.
Check out the "All Green Lights" collection, and let me know what you think.
Thank You-Craig
Featured
Landscapes
{ click on image for full sized}
North County
Abstract Sketches 2304,5,6, triptych. 20x10x1.5 acrylic on paper, on panel, $275.
Sets
Pears # 2329, 30,31
triptych. 20x10x1.5 acrylic on paper, on panel, $275.
Hearts & Pears
Dream Inspired
Spiritual
All Green Lights
Great Outdoors
Collections
Hearts & Pears
Permanent Display, Allan Hancock College, Santa Maria, CA. USA
Thank You for Visiting Craig Trapp Art
As a California resident for over 40 years, I am an intuitive painter inspired by abstract expressionism.. Born in 1957 in Allentown Pennsylvania, I was the middle of 3 children.
My youth was primarily spent out of doors. Long days were spent hiking the woods and climbing giant rocks left by ancient glaciers. I collected arrowheads and fossils, identified trees, and loved fishing for native Brookies in the nearby cow pasture stream. During these times I observed. I learned about nature’s cycles and patterns. And I learned about stillness. Most importantly, I learned we that we are part of nature, not separate from it. Little would I know these early years created a sensitivity in me that would someday become essential to my art.
When I was 38, home due to a work injury, I discovered my inner Artist. Initially drawing with black, white, and gray pastels, I learned the relationships between warm and cool, darks and lights, and the significance of shadows. I started painting with acrylics, and soon felt the desire to paint seriously.
My perfectionism first directed me toward realism, but realism soon felt restrictive. I wanted to express, not illustrate. I wanted to enhance our shared experiences through emotion. I wanted others to feel what I felt, and to stimulate their memories, dreams, and emotions when viewing my work. I wanted viewers to feel awe, and the connection to something greater than our understanding,
When I discovered Abstract Expressionism, I knew I had found my home. Pollock, Rauschenberg, Diebenkorn! The passion! These painters painted their guts onto the canvas. Their art felt honest, spiritual, intuitive. At last, this was my kind of painting!
"Don’t think. Thinking is the enemy to creativity. It’s self-conscious, and anything self-conscious is lousy. You can’t “try” to do things. You simply “must” do things. --Ray Bradbury
How It All Started
