A
lyssa Young currently lives in Mon-
roe, a small city near New Orleans.
"Monroe," Young says, "consists of miles
of bayous, swamps and rivers along with
dilapidated old buildings in the downtown
area for an artist to explore. Monroe's physi-
cal geography along with its French and
Cajun influences have affected my work
by providing some of my inspiration and
subject matter."
When looking for a subject she says, "I
can't wait for it to come to me. I have to go
find it. When I wish to paint the bayou I
pull on my rain boots, grab my camera and
basically walk out into my backyard and
take pictures until I am satisfied and have
found something appealing to recreate. It's
a dirty job, but when it's finally completed
I know that I have earned it and that it s
100 % original. My surroundings allow me
to capture breathtaking scenes of a swamp,
something that at first does not seem ap-
pealing to the average viewer's eye, and turn
them into a forever existing moment on a
piece of canvas."
Only 17, Young has been in the Talented
Art Program since the first grade. Since the
fourth grade she has been entering Art com-
petitions and has won numerous awards.
Recently, her art was accepted into the 13th
Annual Junior/Senior Juried Art Exhibition
at the University of Louisiana at Monroe.
Part of her success has come from the excel-
lent teaching and training she received at
Neville High School and their Talented Art
Program. She has also had the good fortune
to travel extensively throughout England,
Scotland, Mexico, France and Cyprus.
Of her work she says, "When I start plan-
ning a project I spend a long time playing
with ideas and mediums until I have some-
thing that I feel completely dedicated to and
passionate about. I want my work to move
people and touch them emotionally.
A shadow placed in a certain area can com-
pletely change someone's view or attitude
towards a subject."
Young still experiments with her style, "It
varies with my mood and what I m creating.
I'm not scared to try something new or con-
troversial. It may not always work out, but if
it didn't, I wouldn't learn anything and my
job wouldn't present a challenge."
Her favorite medium is "definitely oils."
She says, "I prefer to use paint in general
because I love bold colors, which can some-
times be harder to achieve with other medi-
ums. I love using oils because they provide
easy application and support a wide range
of techniques. They can be put on in many
layers to provide a more three-dimensional
look, and they also hold brushstrokes to
help create the illusion of movement and a
more impressionistic style. They are not only
physically flexible, but flexible in the sense
that they allow changes to be made easily...
My art teacher provides only Daniel Smith
Linseed Oil for her classes to use because
of the strong durable quality it gives. It has
flexibility
and creates
a beautiful
luster when
combined
with oil
paint."
Young's
inspirations
come not
only from
the physical
environment
that sur-
rounds her, but from different people, past
and present, along with a variety of artists
and photographers. "I like to walk down
the street and observe people. I wonder what
they are thinking or feeling and where they
are traveling. This element of mystery leads
me to create stories for them; stories that
I translate into a piece of work. My work
feeds off my feelings and I work best when I
am emotional."
148
"Landscape II Bayou", Alyssa Young, Oil on Canvas, 22" x 26"
Alyssa Young
From the Magnolia State of Louisiana
what's inside
daniel smith canvas
daniel smith linen
daniel smith acrylic gesso
canson canvas paper
fredrix canvas pads & panels
canvas carrier
daniel smith oil gesso
daniel smith rabbit skin glue
canvas tacks & pliers
powershot staple gun
daniel smith stretcher bars
ampersand panels
inksmith
prestretched canvas
prestretched linen
CELEBRATING 30 YEARS
linen & canvas
