About YiFenn C. Strickland’s Paintings...

YiFenn C. Strickland is an impressionist oil painter who paints with energetic strokes and expressive colors. YiFenn enjoys painting with her pallet knives as much as her brushes. Oil is a perfect medium for YiFenn because it allows her to create the rich textures you often see in her paintings. YiFenn is greatly inspired by the works of Claude Monet and Vincent Van Gough. YiFenn enjoys painting landscapes, architecture, seascapes, boats and children. To expand her artistic horizon, YiFenn continues to explore different subject matters such as wildlife, still life, human figures etc.

About YiFenn C. Strickland...

YiFenn C. Strickland began to draw at an early age. However, she did not begin to paint until three years ago. YiFenn has an unusual background for an artist.

A Laotian native with Chinese heritage, YiFenn came to Rochester NY in 1981 as a refugee escaping from the communist party of Laos. With the language barrier, strong math and science background and the American dream, YiFenn spent the first eight years preparing for an engineering career. After earning her engineering degree from Rochester Institute of Technology, She and her husband moved to CA where she started working as a software engineer. Ten years and two daughters later after moving from Los Angeles to Raleigh NC, YiFenn quit her career to focus more on her family. In fall of 2003, when their third child was one year old, YiFenn began to paint under the instruction of a Raleigh based impressionist painter Barbara Dix. YiFenn also attended plein air workshops from nationally acclaimed oil painter and plein air artist Rick McClure.

However demanding her role is as a mom, YiFenn finds time to paint. In her short painting career, YiFenn has done several commissions. She also has donated her paintings to school fundraisers.

YiFenn draws inspiration from her children, local landmarks, coastal scenes of Kure Beach where she and her family now live, and places she visited. In summer 2005, YiFenn traveled to France and visited Monet’s home and garden in Giverny. It was truly a privilege!