Artist’s Statement

Seeing wonderful paintings as a child and standing in front of them amazed at how the artist had managed to bring objects, people and animals to life on a canvas are what first inspired me to paint. Starting off painting birds in gouache as an adolescent, it was not until I ‘discovered’ oil paints that I knew I had found my ideal medium.  Virtually all of my paintings are now oil on canvas and although the subjects vary from still lifes to animals and portraits there is one recurring theme throughout my work and that is detail. I see beauty in small things, even on everyday objects, which are so often overlooked.  A reflection bouncing off a wine glass or the surface markings on a piece of fruit can be amazing when viewed in detail.  I want the viewer to stop and examine my paintings and discover beautiful details never before appreciated.  I want to reveal to the viewer how beauty can be found in mundane everyday objects if only looked for and ‘seen’.  Although I like my paintings to be realistic they are not photographic.  The viewer can see how the paint has been manipulated on the canvas to achieve a true likeness. In my animal paintings I try to convey the character and life of the creature by the accurate depiction of fur or feathers.

I respect the old techniques used by artists over the centuries, especially the Dutch methods and although I paint along similar lines I do not slavishly follow them.  I make full use of contemporary materials combined with compositions more modern in appearance.

I am constantly improving with practice like all artists and my style may yet evolve further and in different ways. That is the artistic journey all artists take. I have no philosophical or spiritual ideas behind my paintings. I paint simply because I enjoy it and like to see the enjoyment others have when viewing it.

To see a further selection of my work please visit:   www.rogeryoungartist.co.uk