Sometimes, when the moon is full, Dan Young steals out of the house to paint.

“I have a tendency to get obsessed with things,” he confesses, “and a few years ago I decided to learn how to do night paintings. I tried a few, and I failed miserably. Being someone who loves painting from life, I thought, ‘I’ll just go out at night and paint.’ I got the little headlamp—one for my head and one to shine down on my palette, so I could mix the paint. I’d go out and observe the scene, and I’d try to paint. I’d mix the paint, and I’d try to paint right there outside at night.

This anecdote neatly encapsulates so much of what’s appealing about Young as an artist: his restless curiosity, his quest for authenticity in the subjects he chooses to paint, his love of the outdoors, his keen sense of adventure, and above all his sheer perseverance.

Dan Young (Silt, Colorado)

The Last Dance
Oil
9″x12″
“I’m always up for the challenge of trying to capture the feel of the fleeting evening light. I tend to return to the same location multiple times, which helps me anticipate what’s going to happen. It also allows me the luxury of being flexible to decide if I paint, or just sketch and take notes.”

Dan Young (Silt, Colorado)

Local Rush Hour
Oil
25″x32″
“I might have taken a bit of artistic license with this piece, which is based on a combination of three different field studies. One of the fun perks of painting is I get to be in charge. I can move things, change their scale, or even add or take things out. I have to remind myself sometimes that I’m making a painting and not trying to out-perform Mother Nature.”