I love your work, I am an artist and teacher, I love the honesty, rawness and integrity of your work, keep cleansing your soul, the stories are very touching, I wish you all the best of luck with your new path. This is work, that anyone can relate to with very good technique and composition. Take care my friend, Michael Despott

Hi Yael, What a pleasure to explore what you are doing with your art and how it is an outward expression of the inward, and your journey in life. Your work is larger than life. I love color myself, and always have. I enjoyed seeing all your work which is so powerful, bold, and dramatic. I love the organic shapes in the black and white process in your studio, the flow is beautiful.I also visited your blog and am so impressed. So glad I ran into you on the street. Sheryl

Thank Sheryl for your email

Yael

The following was what I wrote:

Dear Emma,

Thank you for your email. It is wonderful to inspire and effect young people lives. To answer your questions:

1. Getting involved in art is not a very romantic story. I took art classes as prerequisites requirements for my MA in art therapy, at the George Washington University, in
   Washington DC. It was surprising to me how fascinating and interested I was in sculpting.  That is why, when I was required to take paintings my paintings were thick, and most of them are, until this day.
2. My main techniques are whatever comes my way and to my mind – as daring as I allow myself to be. I am an experimenter. I used to use pallet knife, cardboards, my fingers. I go as wild as possible. There are no rules beyond looking and listening. I go back to look at my art while in the process of making. Almost every spot/line/color requires new observation. Take into account that my most important artwork is a large scale (120 X 120 cm/ 120 X 150, and some are even bigger. I have one piece that is 6 miters by 120 cm,) for me observation can take third off the time of the art making process.
3. Some of my inspiration comes from amazing artists like Nathan Oliveira. He live now at the San Francisco area, but used to live here at the
   Seattle area. Another artist that I admire is Jack Shadbolt, a Canadian artist who died in the 80s. But my main inspiration is my gut feeling. I do not plan what do drew, I just allow it to happen. I think in abstract terms (lines/shapes/colors.)
4. Time, as far as making a piece of artwork varies. In the past I could finish a work in three hours. The more mature I get, the more time I need for a piece. It also a challenge as far as taking care of two children and a baby as well.
5. Color is almost everything in my work. It is one of the most important components. I am fascinated by stains, and how the effect each other. It is interesting what fascinates peopleJ Colors effect their surrounding colors in relation to each other. It is a very interesting and deep world to explore.
6. Different people by definition, are different, and for that brings different worlds when observe my artwork. Every art show, different people connect to different pieces. In some cases many people will like one specific work, but each one for a different reason.
7. I mostly work with artists that do not come from the visual art field. In October, for instance, I am going to give a performance with a pianist. I am going to paint while she will play the piano on stage

It is always interesting to me how we artists all see the world so differently. Your work is fascinating – obscure but enlightening.

I will look forward to seeing more of your work.

Cyndy Carstens – a fellow oil painter

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05/16/2008

Hi Yael-

I am completely blown away by your work! Wow! I love your artist statement and the inspiration for your paintings. I visited your website as well to get a closer look. Absolutely amazing….

Cheryl