Yvonne Bartholomew-Thomas
Where are you from and where do you live now?
I am from Humboldt, in west tn. We moved to Seymour in 2007. My father, a long time pipe smoker, died of lung cancer in 2006. My mother and i had always wanted to live in the mountains near Cades Cove. After my fathers death, my husband and mother and i moved to Seymour to a mountain view. My husband had a stroke only 6 months after we moved here. He had therapy at Patricia Neal rehab in Fort Sanders hospital and learned to walk again but with a brace for foot drop. His right arm and hand are paralyzed and he has a communication disease called aphasia which restricts his ability to verbally communicate effectively. In 2015, my mother was found to have a small cancer in her lower right lung. It was treated with cyberknife radiation. In 2017, she began coughing and had a new different fast growing cancer below the first. When they went in to do surgery to cut it out, it was found that it had already gone into the lining causing pleural effusion, so they did pleurodesis; and then proceeded with radiation, and chemo. the cancer stunted for a few months, but then took off growing in 2018. She died of the lung cancer in April 2018 from the second hand smoke. With this show, I want to donate a portion of the proceeds to the American Cancer Society in my mothers name.
What types of art have you done in the past and what are you currently working on today?
Oil paint is my favorite medium although I have done pastel, charcoal, and watercolor at times. I like doing impasto in oil where different colors show through each other in the thick strokes on big canvases larger than life, dramatic, in your face colorful flowers and food. Currently on my easel I have a painting of a long line of Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls on a shelf as I collect Raggedy dolls having grown up with these smiling dolls all my life.
What are some themes of your work that others will notice?
Food themes, especially my favorite food – cheeseburgers and fries. Also, flowers, especially roses.
What inspires you and why?
I do love the way sunlight shines on things from behind creating dramatic chiaroscuro and rim lighting, particularly on glass and chrome, or behind flowers which makes them seem to glow from within.
What’s next for you and your art?
I have also worked on paintings that express the difficulties of having a disability such as my husbands. I am considering more paintings of this nature which would also express the difficulties of terminal illnesses using chiaroscuro. However, I also want to continue with more colorful impasto canvases of food and flowers in smaller sizes.
What’s the best thing about the Knoxville art community right now?
There are a lot of different organizations, galleries and art centers offering classes, fellowship and exhibit opportunities to artists.
Lightening Round:
Digital media vs. Old school media
I started in college as a fine art major but changed to digital animation thinking it might be easier to make money with that as a career. However, I found that using the camera and computer as a tool to a finished product was not my preference due to the lack of 3-dimensional texture and tactile feeling of the paint on the canvas; although i do use a computer program to crop and test my reference photos taken on a digital camera from which I paint. I think the two are different enough that they should not be judged in the same category at any rate.
Picasso vs. da Vinci
I prefer da vinci, but my favorite artist was Helen Van Wyk.
Realism vs. Abstract
I prefer realism.
Mountains vs. Lakes
I certainly prefer mountains although the sound of the waves crashing on the shore is very soothing at the oceans.
Market Square vs.
The Old City Market Square
Coffee house vs. Pub
Neither. Haven’t drank either since college!
Sunsphere vs. The Empire State Building
The sunsphere is much prettier to look at from the outside than the empire. someday, i hope to see sunshere from the inside! i was not impressed in the elevator of the empire state building in school as a teen nor of its night view of the street lights.
