​Carl Yoshihara - Life is Art

Oil on canvas. 2017

48 x 48 inches, oil on canvas. Finally finished this abstract piece that reminds me of Japanese Koi.

A stream of abstract vibrant colors. With no real direction this painting evolved for several months and one day it was done. I spent some time trying to think of a title. I dislike the use of "untitled" for a painting title. No matter how abstract, paintings originate from somewhere.

I almost titled it "Katie" after a friend from a long ago place who like it. After some thought and research I came up with "Stream of Consciousness" and the fancier version "viññāna-sota."

A canvas, red paint and a need to paint. I must've seen a Rothko or something. It was untitled until I posted it. Looks kinda like a Polaroid, right?

I love this color, I use it quite often in many of my paintings. I think this is the only piece where I actually incorporated writing as part of the art.

I did this one when I was living La Mesa.

I did this one while I was living in La Mesa, CA down near San Diego in the early 80s. I've always loved music and in fact played the alto sax in the 6th grade band.

I don't remember what exactly inspired me to do this one. Maybe it was The Motel's song "Only the Lonely" which has a fantastically soulful sax solo.

My daughter Matisse and I went to see Sol Dewitt's art at the SFMOMA in 2003. We came back inspired. This piece is the only collaboration to date with another artist.

This piece is trippy. Under normal incandescent light there are only three colors. Black, red and green. Under a bright white light all the rainbow of colors pop out. At first I thought I was seeing things. Cool man.

Time is an interesting thing to try an capture.

I stare and look up to the heavens and feel awe in my heart. The sky is ever changing. It also looks like a fast running bunny.

Clouds are everywhere, ever changing in the light and wind.

This painting changed quite a bit over the course of half a year. Then one day it was done.

I went a little crazy. This one used to be the painting Eclipse. It changed twice before I came to this.

Ok, it looks more like a copyright symbol.

Clouds, they are so ephemeral and abstract. They appear and disappear, change colors and move effortlessly through the sky.

Original SOLD.

This one was an experiment. It was a palette, albeit a palette with the paint intentional placed.

I see a landscape, a hill with the sun. More recently I started seeing a profile of a figure. Abstracts works like this, I can't paint. They just happen.

Ghostly figures of salmon making a run up river under a full moon.

Pastel on paper. Done while I was living in La Mesa, CA.

I just wanted to paint something. You art critics and psychologist can figure this one out.

This painting was donated to the Japan Relief Fundraiser at Breath Los Gatos Yoga.

Oil on canvas. 2017

48 x 48 inches, oil on canvas. Finally finished this abstract piece that reminds me of Japanese Koi.

A stream of abstract vibrant colors. With no real direction this painting evolved for several months and one day it was done. I spent some time trying to think of a title. I dislike the use of "untitled" for a painting title. No matter how abstract, paintings originate from somewhere.

I almost titled it "Katie" after a friend from a long ago place who like it. After some thought and research I came up with "Stream of Consciousness" and the fancier version "viññāna-sota."

A canvas, red paint and a need to paint. I must've seen a Rothko or something. It was untitled until I posted it. Looks kinda like a Polaroid, right?

I love this color, I use it quite often in many of my paintings. I think this is the only piece where I actually incorporated writing as part of the art.

I did this one when I was living La Mesa.

I did this one while I was living in La Mesa, CA down near San Diego in the early 80s. I've always loved music and in fact played the alto sax in the 6th grade band.

I don't remember what exactly inspired me to do this one. Maybe it was The Motel's song "Only the Lonely" which has a fantastically soulful sax solo.

My daughter Matisse and I went to see Sol Dewitt's art at the SFMOMA in 2003. We came back inspired. This piece is the only collaboration to date with another artist.

This piece is trippy. Under normal incandescent light there are only three colors. Black, red and green. Under a bright white light all the rainbow of colors pop out. At first I thought I was seeing things. Cool man.

Time is an interesting thing to try an capture.

I stare and look up to the heavens and feel awe in my heart. The sky is ever changing. It also looks like a fast running bunny.

Clouds are everywhere, ever changing in the light and wind.

This painting changed quite a bit over the course of half a year. Then one day it was done.

I went a little crazy. This one used to be the painting Eclipse. It changed twice before I came to this.

Ok, it looks more like a copyright symbol.

Clouds, they are so ephemeral and abstract. They appear and disappear, change colors and move effortlessly through the sky.

Original SOLD.

This one was an experiment. It was a palette, albeit a palette with the paint intentional placed.

I see a landscape, a hill with the sun. More recently I started seeing a profile of a figure. Abstracts works like this, I can't paint. They just happen.

Ghostly figures of salmon making a run up river under a full moon.

Pastel on paper. Done while I was living in La Mesa, CA.

I just wanted to paint something. You art critics and psychologist can figure this one out.

This painting was donated to the Japan Relief Fundraiser at Breath Los Gatos Yoga.