Chris Paul Art

08/07/2026

Today I walked through SFMOMA surrounded by giants.

Picasso.
Magritte.
Frida Kahlo.
Diego Rivera.
Chuck Close.
Warhol.

Names we learn.
Names we teach.
Names that changed what art was allowed to be.

But seeing the actual work is different.

You see the scale.
The surface.
The mistakes.
The brushstrokes.
The decisions.

You realize these weren’t always “masterpieces.”

At some point, they were just ideas in someone’s head.

A blank surface.

A risk.

Someone deciding:

I’m going to make this anyway.

And walking through those galleries today, I kept thinking about what it means to be an artist right now.

To make work in 2026.

To teach art.

To study it.

To build my own visual language.

To keep experimenting even when I don’t know exactly where it’s going.

Because every movement started before it had a name.

Every famous artist was once unknown.

And every piece of art history was once simply…

new art.

I left SFMOMA inspired.

But more importantly—

I left wanting to get back into the studio.

There’s more work to make.

🎨

Picasso FridaKahlo DiegoRivera AndyWarhol Magritte ChuckClose BayAreaArtist CaliforniaArtist ArtInspiration VisualArtist

08/01/2026

THIS ISN’T A PAINTING ABOUT COWS.

It’s about the moment repetition changes meaning.

One cow is an animal.
A few cows become a herd.
But when they multiply across an impossible sky, reality begins to break—and the image becomes an idea.

That is the foundation of NUMERISM:

A new visual language exploring how quantity transforms meaning.

How many before abundance becomes excess?
How many before beauty becomes absurdity?
How many before an ordinary object becomes sacred, unsettling, or unforgettable?

For thousands of years, the cow has represented nourishment, wealth, sacrifice, survival, and divinity.

Here, it is no longer simply a cow.

It is a number.
A pattern.
A symbol.
A question.

THE NUMBER OF COWS
Oil on canvas
Numerism No. 1

This is only the beginning.

Count them—and tell me: at what point did you stop seeing cows and start seeing an idea?

06/19/2026

This is my mural concept for Livermore, California.

At first, you see an apple — but the apple is really a symbol for knowledge, growth, discovery, and possibility.

As it opens, an entire world comes out of it: time, light, roads, architecture, faces, gears, and motion.

The clock represents generations and memory.
The road represents the city’s journey forward.
The faces represent the people who give Livermore its identity.

I wanted this mural to feel like a landmark — something bold, meaningful, and unforgettable.

Because a city is more than buildings.
A city is people, history, imagination, and time.

This is my vision for Livermore.

06/19/2026

28 years ago.

A young version of me was already chasing the same thing I’m still chasing today — taking a blank surface, a pencil, an idea, and trying to make something meaningful out of nothing.

This old clipping said: “Most likely to make something out of nothing.”
At the time, it probably just felt like a fun caption. But looking back now, it feels strangely prophetic.

Before the murals, before the exhibitions, before teaching art, before building a life around creativity — there was just a kid obsessed with drawing, trying to prove what could be done with imagination, patience, and graphite.

I look at this now with a lot of gratitude. Not because the drawing was perfect, but because the passion was already there. The hunger was already there. The belief was already there.

28 years later, I’m still making something out of nothing.

And I’m still just getting started.

06/09/2026

FREMONT / BAY AREA — I NEED YOU.
I’m currently in 3rd place for The People’s Artist, and I’m trying to push back to 1st place before voting ends.

This isn’t just a contest to me.

I’m a Bay Area artist, public muralist, and art teacher. I’ve spent years creating work for my community, teaching kids that their creativity matters, and using art to tell real human stories.

Now I need my community to help carry me across the finish line.

Voting is limited-time 2X votes right now, and every single vote helps.

Please take 30 seconds:

1. Vote for Christopher Paul Onstad
2. Share this post to your story
3. Tag 3 people who support local artists
4. Repost if you believe art matters

Link:
peoplesartist.org/2026/christopher-paul-onstad

Let’s show them what the Bay Area art community can do.

From the bottom of my heart — thank you.
Let’s bring this home.

06/06/2026

I’m currently 2nd place in my group for The People’s Artist contest — and today votes count 2X until 9PM PDT. 🎨✨

This is a huge opportunity: the winner gets a chance to be featured in Artforum Magazine, win $25,000, and display their work at The Art of Elysium’s Salon.

As an artist and art teacher, I create work to give visibility to forgotten stories, celebrate resilience, and offer hope through expressive color and human connection. Getting this far already means so much — but I need one more push.

Please vote for me today and share this post with anyone who supports artists, teachers, creativity, or Bay Area art.
Vote here:
peoplesartist.org/2026/christopher-paul-onstad

Thank you for helping me keep this momentum going. Every vote and every share matters. 🙏🎨

05/04/2026

✨ MAY THE 4TH BE WITH ME ✨

I’m officially part of Johnny Depp Presents: The People’s Artist — and I need your help.

This competition is about more than winning. It’s about lifting up artists who tell real stories — stories of forgotten voices, resilience, struggle, beauty, and hope.

I’m asking for your vote today to help me move forward for a chance to win $25,000, appear in Artforum Magazine, and display my work at The Art of Elysium’s Salon.

Every vote helps. Every share helps even more.

Vote for Christopher Paul Onstad
🗳️ peoplesartist.org

And in true May the 4th spirit…

Help me bring this artist’s journey to the next galaxy.
May the art be with you. 🌌🎨

VoteForArtists ContemporaryArtist ArtCommunity BayAreaArtist FremontArtist ArtTeacher ArtistEducator Storyteller Resilience Hope SupportArtists Instagram

05/04/2026

🚨 BIG NEWS — I need your vote! 🚨

I’m officially part of **Johnny Depp Presents: The People’s Artist**, and public voting begins **today at 10AM PDT**.

This opportunity could help me share my artwork with a much larger audience, appear in **Artforum Magazine**, display my work at **The Art of Elysium’s Salon**, and compete for **$25,000** to keep building meaningful, community-centered art.

For me, art has always been about more than making something beautiful. It’s about giving visibility to forgotten stories, celebrating resilience, and creating hope through color, emotion, and human connection.

As many of you know, I’ve fought through a lot in life — including living with Type 1 diabetes for most of my life and even losing my vision for several years. Art has always been the thing that helped me keep going, rebuild, and turn struggle into purpose.

Now I’m asking for your help.

✅ Please vote for me
✅ Share this post
✅ Tag friends who support artists
✅ Come back and vote again if voting allows

Every single vote matters, and every share helps more than you know.

Vote here: https://peoplesartist.org/2026/christopher-paul-onstad

Thank you for believing in me, my art, and the stories I’m trying to tell.

— Christopher Paul Onstad

I Create Art To Give Visibility To Forgotten Stories, Celebrate Resilience, And Offer Hope Through Expressive Color And Human Connection.