Valerie Young

“Val Young’s paintings are incisive and articulate, whether they are heartfelt portraits or mysterious still-lives. Of the artists I’ve collected, she is the star.” – Shelley F.

Art, to me, is painting the internal landscapes. I paint with my eyes open and with them shut. These are two sides of the same coin. I need my eyes open in order to express what I see with my eyes shut.

One of the most interesting things for me is to examine the complexities of communication (or miscommunication) between people, and explore the subtleties of attention and understanding that are necessary in order to love well. As a psychologist, I verbally address these challenges and opportunities. As an artist, I express, in a more condensed way than words, my observations of the fabric of friendship or love. 

The goal of my art is to express both the miracle and joy of being alive, as well as the pain of knowing its fragility and finiteness. How to live well, knowing it will end soon?

When I paint it is the same as being with myself or with people I love. I can get too close and lose my objectivity, or I can get too distant and lose my connection to the person or object that I am with. I may even need to turn the painting (or the relationship) upside down for a moment, in my mind, in order to see it with fresh eyes.   I need to always be open to surprise.