Local artist soaks up surroundings for inspiration

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November 21, 2009

Anonymous The Joplin Globe Sat Nov 21, 2009, 03:31 PM CST

By Andrea Steere

news@joplinglobe.com

Flowing water. Verandas. Neighborhoods.

Country roads, blooming flowers, hoses and lawn chairs.

Frank Young considers all these things as art.

Young is an oil painter who is inspired by his surroundings. Since moving to Joplin three years ago, he has found plenty of inspiration.

“I paint things that are mostly around Joplin,” Young said. “The things that inspire me most are Joplin’s buildings and Shoal Creek.”

He also paints things that can be found in residential areas. Everything from a local neighborhood to a lawn chair can become a piece of art, such as Young’s painting “Hose,” a depiction of two lawn chairs and a garden hose.

“When painting, I tend to pay more attention to the shapes of the objects and spaces surrounding these objects and not the actual objects,” Young said. “I try not to think of subjects as objects, only shapes of color and value.”

Jessica Calvin, co-owner of Momentum 8 Studio, said she enjoys Young’s work.

“I like that it’s local and unique,” Calvin said. “His paintings have an energy to them.”

Such painting might look like it takes the years of effort Young has invested into his art. But Young said painting is not difficult at all.

“It’s simple,” Young said. “You don’t have to paint every leaf on the tree for it to be a tree.”

Young certainly doesn’t paint every leaf. He uses colors, shades and shapes to bring his subjects to life. By bringing out all the colors instead of lines, subtle things that normally go unnoticed become the centerpiece.

An example of this can be found in Young’s painting “Backwater.” Young brings out unexpected colors for water, such as oranges, blues, greens and purples, to illustrate its flow and movement.

Young has been a painter of landscapes for most of his life. In the beginning of his artistic career, he received a lot of encouragement from his mother. This encouragement led him to the Art Institute of Kansas City; he later received his master’s degree at the University of Cincinnati.

He branched out from landscape painting during graduate school — he was encouraged to challenge himself and become more inventive in order to develop his own style. Young experimented with abstract painting, but discovered it was not for him.

“I eventually went back to what I knew and what I enjoyed doing most,” Young said.

After working at a TV station, as a publication and catalog illustrator, and as head of the design team for the Department of Defense, he began to look for a place to retire.

Joplin came up a few times in his search. Being originally from the Midwest, he said it seemed like a good place to move.

Young knew that upon retirement he would spend plenty of time in the studio. He spends about two or three hours a day painting.

“I wanted to move back with my children and Joplin is centrally located,” Young said. “It’s also cheap to send paintings from Joplin.”

On display

Artist Frank Young’s work is currently showing at Momentum 8 Studio at 806 Main St. The exhibit features about 15 paintings, most of which have been produced in the past year. They are available for purchase and range in price from $200 to $600.

Young also has one of his pieces featured in the 62nd Annual Member Show at Spiva Center for the Arts. The member show began Nov. 14 and will last until Dec. 27.

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Local artist soaks up surroundings for inspiration

Joplin City Manager Mark Rohr wants the city to distribute weather radios to all Joplin homes that don’t have one. That’s 11,000 radios. Do you think that’s a good use of $300,440?

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