Queen of Paradise, acrylic by YayiB

About

Gladys Bellamah

YayiB

Gladys Bellamah, known as YayiB, was born in Cartagena, Colombia, and paints in Silver Spring, Maryland. Her mother was an artist. From her, YayiB learned to look closely and to put feeling into color.

I don't just paint what I see. I paint what I feel. Color has a voice, and I let it lead.

She works mainly in acrylic on canvas, building layers with gel so the surface holds light. Oils and watercolor show up when a painting needs a softer voice. The subjects are flowers, landscapes, and faces, always saturated: magenta, coral, saffron, cobalt.

A painting starts with one color that speaks in the moment. From there her hands move across the canvas, more conversation than plan. The themes that return are love, loss, hope, resilience, and a kind of peace that is not quiet.

The work has been featured by ArtTour International as a Top Featured Star, and in 2026 she showed at the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris. Collectors can buy originals here, on her Etsy shop, or as small ACEO paintings on eBay.

How a painting starts

She chooses a color first. It might be a deep rose, a burnt orange, or a sharp teal. Then she mixes, layers, and scrapes until the surface feels honest.

Acrylic is the usual medium because it is immediate and it holds texture. Flowers are a favorite subject, not as decoration, but as something alive: loud, moving, unwilling to stay inside the edges.