About Artist

Benjamin J. Young

Photo of Benjamin J. Young

I’m new to painting, as I had just started in December of 2023. With no prior experience in art since 8th grade art class. I mainly paint with watercolor and occasionally oil, working in narrative realism. My objective is to paint the emotions first, aesthetics secondary. If my painting moves someone emotionally, then I have done my job. My style tends to remind a lot of Andrew Wyeth’s work, and honestly I had no idea who he was until people started pointing that out and I had to google him. I’ve just let that style however take hold naturally to my own expression and technique. Much of my works are developed from my own experiences, traumas, and emotions; and I hope I can successfully resonate those in others.

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Artist Story

Child Ben

In childhood, I was told from my earliest memories my drawing skills were phenomenal. The phrase “child prodigy” was thrown around far too much, and I wish it hadn’t. I was receptively pressured to refine my skills, eventually being put in to private programs to help me develop my skills. As my maverick personality was in it’s adolescence of development, eventually being told what to do constantly ignited my spite of something I used to enjoy of my own free will.

So after my last 8th grade art class (age 15), I never picked up another pencil or any other medium to draw again. As angry and disappointed as that made some people, I also could not see any chance of having a good living with what artists made in that era and chasing fame was a fool’s errand to me. It was around that same time I received access to my first computer along with access to the internet and it’s endless amount of free information. I went on to quickly learn computer programming, which would go on to be my career for over 15 years.

In a monument of both the boredom of winter, and desperation, I found an old set of oil pastels and a Crayola Watercolor kit. From there, you can see the works I’ve made all listed out in my Artwork Blog.

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