Interview
Carolyn Rapp
Carolyn Rapp is a Midwest artist that was born and raised in Leawood, Kansas. She has an innate passion for expression with a nurturing zeal. All of Rapp’s work depicts bright, colorful contemporary art. She can paint luminous ocean waves and natural flowers that are vibrant flowers. Her painting technique has been compared to Georgia O’Keeffe. Carolyn has been oil painting for over 40 years and has sold her pieces from Mexico, throughout US and Puerto Rico. Professionally, Carolyn was an OB/GYN nurse 40 years but she still continued to challenge herself creatively by approaching each new painting as a journey, exploration and a moment to discover something new and wonderful.
It is her love of art and her passion, that she hopes to share with each person that sets eyes on her work -and what drives her. Each day she is thankful for her talent and blessings from God. She captures original paintings; reproduction canvas prints and reproduction paper prints are available for sale.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I am a self-taught artist. When I was younger, I lived in San Jose del Cabo from 2005-2011 and followed an artist named Jaquin Penanda who taught me for 4 years and then I branched out on my own. I was born and raised in Leawood, Kansas. My artistic sensibility has been influenced by the state flower the Kansas sunflowers in the fields. The surrounding sunflowers in the fields inspires my shifting moods and colors. Flowers in general offer me a sense of calmness and closeness to nature. I particularly feel inspired and a grounding force from the sea. I love the ocean and its contents. Seashells, critters etc. The waves I paint give me emotional depth. All my paintings are different subjects. They all let me explore my inner sense of rhythm, emotions bright colors, and visual expressions.”
What does your work aim to say? Does it comment on any current social or political issues?
“My work explores the natural world of flowers and the sea. Organic flowers, material, interact and transform my motif to what colors to use and how to paint in the process. Beauty of nature exposes the authenticity of its presence. I create pieces to draw the viewers in to stop and process the beauty of Mother nature. No my work does not comment on any social issue. It mainly exposes the beauty of nature. And nature is slowly dying off. The planet trying to survive. I am trying to show the beauty of just a wave, a flower. I see the artists as a storytellers. I am translating an experience I possibly had. The artist creates a pause for people. When they pause, they can reflect, and think about nature, life and something to articulate. Artists will become increasingly vital. They will continue to serve, observe, interpret, tell stories, express, create and construct. Art will always remind us of our own paths experience. I try to bring beauty in color and rhythm.”
Do you plan your work in advance, or is it improvisation?
“I do both. I have several books that have all sorts of pictures from magazines, photos I taken, post cards, business cards, you name it, if I like it I will put it in my book of likes. I will take a picture or photo tape it on my easel look at it several hours or sometimes days and evaluate it. I put my canvas up blank and decide how I will draw the photo. I will start out similar to the photo take it down and then improvise. Sometimes I use the colors in the photo and then there are times I decide my own bright colors. But yes, I do plan my work in advance. I don't want my work to be a guessing game.”
Are there any art world trends are you following?
“Yes, I think Prominent Photography is going to go gangbusters. It will take over with the new visually arresting images that will tell stories, provoke emotions and leave lasting impressions. I am not a fan of photography as art. I believe it should be in a whole different division. It is an art to be able to take the right photo, with the right pixel, the right light, right time, right subject matter etc. But they didn't create it with their own hands, thought, imagination. But don't get me wrong. I use their photos for my plan to use for my canvas to paint. So all in all photography is a good thing.”
What process, materials and techniques do you use to create your artwork?
“I would primarily use oil on canvas. I create visual tension with bright colors. To me, it lets my viewers feel happy when they view my art. It puts color into their homes. I personally want my paintings to be in a good happy home or location. My color palette is intentionally not limited. I allow variation of bright colors to support my themes of my work. I rely heavily on my brushes, and I will shape by chance sometimes. But each piece has a dialogue and that dialogue is revealed in my art on canvas. I use many different brushes in order too create and blend my colors together. I dip my brushes a lot in linseed oil to thin out the paint so I can layer the colors over one another. My lines are free flowing. You will never see a straight line in my paintings.”
What does your art mean to you?
“It structures my visual language. I create work that is between abstract and real. I am deeply inspired by Georgia O’Keeffe. Her monumental drawings of flowers, contemporary lines, and her quiet raw materials. Art fascinates me. It is my visual language. When I am painting, I am in the the quiet creative world of my own. It makes me happy, it is my expression of myself poured onto a canvas. But, when I look at my paintings I can actually can tell what mood or what experience I was going through at that time. I need and want art. It is part of my soul and life. I love the smell of oil paint. I smile when I sit down get ready to paint and I smell the oil paints. Makes me very happy.”
What’s your favourite artwork and why?
“My favorite artwork are my waves and my paintings that lots of bright colors. I take more time and patience when painting the waves. I seem to use all sorts of different mixes of blues with the waves which I like to do. As the bright colors I mix bright colors of purples and yellows I mix quite a bit which turn out nicely. My art is all different subject matter actually. I do a lot of flowers over the years but you will never find the same subject matter. They will all be very different. You will see that if you take the time and go through my portfolio.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“I have won an honorable mention in the Redwood Artexpo in New York. I have entered 5 of my original oil paintings and all 5 received the honorable mention award. I received $200 for my art for the Redwood art prize contest and will be featured in the Art Business News which will be published this year. I am also published in the 2026 September issue #46 edition of ArtistsupClose publication. I have 3 paintings shown in the magazine.”
Instagram: @Carolinamoon244
Other links: www.facebook.com/CarolynRappArt
