Mike Young sees beauty in the human form, and he paints it. His paintings are not developed gradually over time. They are painted in one session, in one layer of paint. Each and every brush stroke is clearly visible. What does that mean? That means that he conceives an idea in his head and his hand paints it, for the world to see - with no revisions. His work has a spontaneity which rarely manifests itself in figure painting.

 Mike grew up in Chicago where he had access to the Art Institute as well as many wonderful examples of this century's finest architecture. He developed a profound appreciation for the all the fine arts, but felt that architectural design was the only valid occupational option among them. His family moved to Arkansas and the following year found him enrolled in the University of Arkansas School of Architecture, eventually receiving a BA there before joining a local design firm. He soon found, however, that designing restrooms for discount stores was not a creative endeavor. So he continued to return to the University in his spare time to participate in life drawing and painting courses.

 Few modern painters can compare to his mastery of the female form. The serene beauty with which he imbues each subject is rivaled only by figure paintings of Degas, and Ingres. The warmth and joie de vie of his figures compare favorably to the bathers of Picasso and Renoir. His lines are fluid, his colors sing, his compositions calm the nerves and excite the heart. To see one of Mike Young's paintings is to glimpse his soul and, like Picasso, that can sometimes be a very frightening experience. So far, however, only the calm and beautiful paintings leave the studio.