Dan Young writes, “Growing up in Colorado, how can you not be inspired by the mountains, the rivers? Nowadays, I’ll go out and look for an idea, a shape, an emotion. I used to go out and look for a pretty picture, but now I go out and look for what interests me—a shadow dancing across snow, light reflecting off a landscape, an unexpected shape that changes the composition—that’s what challenges me to create in my own style.”
Evening Hot Streak, oil on board, 12 x 18”
After the Storm, oil on board, 25 x 40”
Among the paintings in the exhibition Dan Young: Mountain Majesty July 9 through July 19 at Ann Korologos Gallery in Basalt, Colorado, is the stunning Evening Hot Streak. It captures a fleeting moment of high color and contrast along the Colorado River close to Young’s studio. He explains, “After many failures painting sunsets on location, I figured out how important both written and painted notes can be. I always carry a sketchbook to do compositional studies and make note of my observations. If I decide to paint, I just try getting accurate value and color notes as the light moves, which can be enough information to make an accurate painting back in the studio. This piece was painted in the studio using a combination of all the things I mentioned. Being familiar with my subject it an important part of my process.” He was born in Denver and grew up in Colorado camping and fishing.
Spring Light, oil on board, 30 x 40”
Young began his career as an illustrator where he perfected his drawing skills, which are the foundation for his ability to convey the excitement of experiencing the landscape in his paintings.
Sometimes the weather is uncooperative. Describing The Hills are Alive he notes, “This is another scene very close to my studio. I had observed it one day out searching but didn’t have time to try to paint it, so I did several small drawings playing with the design. I was intending to return the next evening to paint some color notes.
The Hills are Alive, oil on board, 20 x 24”
Unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate for several more days and I had to patiently wait for it to clear. It actually turned out to be a good thing as the fresh snow simplified the foreground and allowed me to play up the cool snow off the very warm sunlit mountains. That was what really grabbed my attention the first time I saw it. It is fun to try to make a cold winter painting feel warm by playing with temperatures.” —
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