Today we’d like to introduce you to Mitchell Young.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I’ve loved drawing from an early age. I think a lot of kids do but it’s not something they keep doing as they grow up. I just kept trying to make pictures of surfaces wherever I could and eventually studied drawing and painting at Sam Houston State University where I earned my BFA in Studio Art (with a minor in Art History).
There’s a story my mom loves to tell where we were visiting the Art Institute of Chicago when I was about 8 years old. There was a Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec exhibit with a live model drawing session to those interested.
I watched the instructor closely and tried to imitate what he was doing and people were crowding around me looking at my picture. I guess they were impressed with a little boy making art. I was just copying the instructor!
Please tell us about your art.
I work in a lot of different media. Painting has been the one I’ve been doing most lately. Although I love digital art and making surreal composites with Photoshop. The great Kevin Barnes said: The Surrealists were just nihilists with good imaginations. I’d like to think that describes me somewhat. I’ve had a rough time trying to figure out exactly what style or content I want to make with painting but I am heavily influenced by the Abstract Expressionist movement from the 40’s and 50’s. But I am also interested in reconciling non-representative abstraction with the figurative. Art is mainly something to look at and what you bring to it as you view it will determine what you take away from it. It’s all about your personal mentality. It fills a space, gives you something (not always) nice to look at. Art has become, maybe always was, elitist. In the end a painting is just paint on a flat surface that someone will put on their wall. That’s what I’m interested in; making stuff people want in their house to stare at.
Do you have any advice for other artists? Any lessons you wished you learned earlier?
Make the art that you have the patience for! Don’t stress out over your work (unless your mode of expression requires your frustration). I really believe art should be something that relaxes you, something to lose yourself to and spend hours that feel like minutes. Also put yourself out there. If you get rejected, yeah it feels like they’re rejecting your soul. But someone out there will resonate with what you create and you could potentially touch the lives of a lot of people and that is what art is about.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
I have a blog I haven’t really kept up with but it’s a lot of my old surreal composites and photography, some painting at mitchellsartblog.tumblr.com. If you want to commission me for whatever, you can email me at mitchay94@gmail.com
Contact Info:
- Website: mitchellsartblog.tumblr.com
- Email: mitchay94@gmail.com
- Instagram: ruthy.baby
Image Credit:
All work is made by Mitchell Young
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