About Me

YEALEE SONG BROKAW

I am an attorney who always loved art but never formally trained in it. I had a habit, however, of doodling little smiley faces.

One day during the Pandemic, I went painting at the park. I didn’t know what to paint so I painted some of my signature smiley faces wearing crowns. My now-husband loved them so much that he posted photos to his Instagram, where much to my shock, they got an overwhelmingly positive response. This gave me the courage to paint a few more pieces. It was like the floodgates opened and I ended up painting over 300 pieces in two years!

Nothing gives me a level of freedom, sense of play and joy like art. I love working with all kinds of mediums: acrylic paint, watercolor, pastels, paint sticks and markers on canvas and paper. I move freely and use big, bold strokes. Gritty marks and drips and the occasional serendipitous “mistake” all showcase in my work, giving them a sense of organic expression and freshness.

I am influenced by pop, street, graffiti and abstract art with some whimsy and humor mixed in. Just look at my Royal Coup “icons,” which include a smiley face Frida with her famous eye brows, a ninja bear and, of course, my signature smiley faces! The number one thing people say to me is that my art makes them happy. Nothing brings me more joy than to spread joy through my art.

I officially launched Royal Coup in early 2021 and within a year, I sold 40 original works all over the U.S. as well as Korea, Spain and Tanzania. In addition, I have designed and sold Royal Coup merch all over the country as well as Mexico, Korea and Germany. Many of my clients are repeat buyers. I also regularly paint commissioned pieces for individual clients.

When I started Royal Coup I did so with the goal of encouraging others to pursue their dreams. Hence the double meaning. “Royal” means kingly or queenly but it can also mean big. “Coup” is the overthrow of something or a brilliant move. I hope people can overthrow the status quo and pull the biggest coup of their lives!

trusted

by artstorefronts

Trusted Art Seller

The presence of this badge signifies that this business has officially registered with the Art Storefronts Organization and has an established track record of selling art.

It also means that buyers can trust that they are buying from a legitimate business. Art sellers that conduct fraudulent activity or that receive numerous complaints from buyers will have this badge revoked. If you would like to file a complaint about this seller, please do so here.