Art Journey by Deborah Young
December 23, 2020 | Soulful heArt Studio
Deborah Young a painter and multi-media artist, who provides expressive art and healing courses at her studio in Rolesville, NC. My intention for meeting with Deborah was to connect with my creative side and get to know a fellow artist. I first met her when I attended one of the workshops posted on Meetup.com. In the studio, we created a large-scale Mandela using organic objects such as leaves, rocks, and twigs, followed by various drawing activities in our sketchbooks. Deborah Young made me feel like I was home, because she is so welcoming and warm. I felt relaxed and enjoyed each moment in the class, there was no competition – only to be yourself.
Deborah's art style is a combination of whimsical, abstraction, and impressionistic. The paintings have a connection to nature. The cooler, relaxed colors found on most of her artwork resonate with a peaceful impression. She also creates drip and pours painting methods on canvas and other mediums such as art stools, magnets, wooden letters, and even on Christmas ornaments. Deborah’s inviting spirit and art inspire me to honor her creative talent and involvement in the art community. It is a pleasure to share Deborah Young’s creative journey in this blog.
1) What sparked your interest in becoming an artist?
In my earliest memories as a child, nature was my playground. I would use sticks to draw in the dirt or collect rocks, feathers, flowers, and leaves, found on my adventures to create art. Similar to the little mandalas we did when you came to my workshop. I guess just bringing that aspect of nature into my workshop based on when I was a child, is how it had started. I need to encourage people to get in touch with nature, then our lives will be easier to live. In the society that we live in we’ve lost touch with that. It is calming, and meditative to be in touch with nature.
When I graduated from high school, I wanted to go to art school but was not able to do so at that time. It was later when my youngest son was in elementary school, I realized my dream and attended a private fine arts college. I started a weekend program and essentially went full-time for my studio classes. I earned my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, in Visual Arts and Graphic Design.
2) Are there any other artist or any other influences, that has sparked your work?
Artists that have influenced me are Claude Monet from France for his impressionistic painting style, and David Smith, an American artist who welded sculptures placed in nature. His sculptures became part of where they were placed in nature, whether in the field, water or under a tree. It was because of him I learned how to weld. I started welding these whimsical metal sculptures using old-found objects of farm equipment to create my sculptures.
3) What guided your career to where you are now?
When I was an art teacher for middle school, I would do field trips for my students. To broaden their horizon I took them to art museums, other artists’ studios, science, and history museums. I was actually the only art teacher in the county that did that. There were all-days field trips and eventually before we would come back to my school, we would stop by my farm for the second part of the field trip to present my artwork, and we would walk around and look at the metal sculptures I welded. Later in the school year, I was trying to prevent a fight and ended up tearing my rotator cuff, and had several surgeries, and have not been able to weld anymore. Thankfully I was still able to be creative with my art but just in a different way, that was when I started turning to paint.
Emotions are energy in motion. When I began painting it started the healing process for me when I was going thru extreme grief at the time (from the loss of her youngest son). I realized that I need to tell this to the world so other people can be healed from this. Many people out there no matter what they are hurting from whatever difficulty in life such as job loss, cancer, divorce, or a loss of a loved one. This inspired me to sign up for a one-year teaching program in California for healing Arts. Once completed it prepared me professionally to be able to teach and open my Soulful heART Studio.
4) What is your art studio is trying to communicate?
I truly believe that living a creative life is a happy life. That doesn’t mean just painting, sculpture, or welding, it can mean fiber arts, pottery, cooking, decorating, gardening, anything, as people are creative with their lives. I believe that by being creative, you will live a happier life. Your heart and soul longs for that and it is happier when it’s doing it. My art in particular is trying to speak to people’s hearts and souls.
My career in particular is a little more unique than other artists because a lot of creatives are mostly concerned about trying to get to a gallery to sell their work. I the other hand am more concerned about what I can offer to my community, as far as getting the message to them that art can heal. Art is important. Living a creative life is therapeutic to women, in whatever form it takes. For me, it is important to provide a safe space, a place where people can come together to pretty much join a creative circle of women. That is one of the things I want my Soulful heART Studio to do in my community and surrounding area. There are not that many places like that as far as places in my area of North Carolina.
To put that out into the community and get the message out using whatever means I can whether it’s having a Facebook business page, or community group pages using social media, live videos, or participating in interviews like this today. These are the things I use to get the message out, to get my name out, so that people will come to me because there is such a need for that for women, in particular. That is a huge goal of mine to do that.
I want my studio to provide women the opportunity to slow down and disconnect from the stress of life and have a place to tap into a portal of creativity and imagination. I actually have three studios now. My husband's grandmother passed away this past May a year ago, we are using her home now for the intuitive painting workshops.
5) What are your next goals?
My next goal is focusing on the Weaving Program, by David Brooks, who is the founder of a movement which is for repairing our country’s social fabric, which is badly frayed by distrust, division, and exclusion. What does a weaver do?
A weaver views their community as home and tries to make it loving and welcoming.
A Weaver treats neighbors as a family regardless of outward differences.
A weaver finds meaning and joy in connecting and caring for others.
I am offering a pay-it-forward program where I offer free classes to people who were going thru extreme difficulties in their life, like disease, loved ones dying, physical or mental abuse, divorce, loneliness, job loss, or other stressful difficulties in life. I was already offering that, but in particular this year in 2020, I got involved in learning about different things, the ups and downs the inequalities. - Then I started researching the movement and David Brooks. I have added that to the Pay It Forward Weaving project.
-[It is up to us to make a positive impact however small or big to change our environment for the better. How can others can be involved? Take the first step and visit weareweavers.org join the movement, to make your mark].
In 2020, I got involved in learning about different things the up’s and down’s of the pandemic, the horror of George Floyd, and other inequalities in the world, and started researching how can I weave certain people together despite their differences using my art studio to do so.
Hopefully, after COVID passes, I look forward to starting back my classes. Even before I went to college and got my degree and opened my studio, in some way I have applied arts and crafts to tie the community together. I am happy that I am continuing my mission in life and to continue that legacy. I am blessed to live on this farm because I can have field trips, Boy Scout events, camping, workshops, and journaling out here, I have the perfect place to offer that to my community.
6) A recent painting you created that I admire, called “Her Soul Matters”. Tell me more about that painting, as well as your technique?
I drew my self-portrait from the sketchbook then collaged the drawing onto the canvas. I turned more to the mixed media in the past year, exploring a variety of techniques. I realized I use symbolic shapes often like trees, circles, spirals, and organic lines to create symbolism in my artwork. When I look back at my sculptures, it has circles and organic lines also. Until I started my initial paintings, I realized that I draw and paint trees often. I said ‘wow, there is another tree!’ It represents the tree of life; you cannot breathe without trees. I drew the tree out of tissue paper, it creates a translucent effect to help guide the viewer’s eye to the Mandela shapes.
The circles to me represent the circle of life, which shows up a lot in my paintings and my sculptures. In this particular piece you have selected, the two Mandela shapes located at the top of the painting represents my angel children. I experienced the devastating loss of two children. Until I started looking back at my work I noticed I have two circles there and here. When I looked at the final painting, I realized my intuition had caused me to add two Mandela shapes representing my children.
7) Words of Wisdom?
I am a firm believer that one person can make a difference in the world. My goal is to encourage women to let go of their inner critique, and it can be about anything, cooking, painting, whatever they are doing and to be here... now and in this moment. Life is short and we are not guaranteed tomorrow. For me, I have lived my life in the last 10 years more authentically, than I ever have before. I think it’s because I’ve learned so much during my grief journey. I am a survivor who believes that the tragedies in life have not defined who I am, however, it had empowered me to find my authentic voice. Which has encouraged me to speak my truth. That is huge for me to know that, and be able to have my studio be a safe space to offer people the healing space to discover the path to joy, love, and relaxation, and that my intuitive process painting and expressive arts workshops can actually heal hearts, transform lives if your mind is open to that.
In conclusion
My discussion with Deborah Young was truly inspiring. The passion she has for her work and her community is wonderful and beautiful. I very much appreciate her time and sharing her art story with us. It is our hope that this interview touches even one soul to break free from any troubles they may have and express themselves in a positive way.
Please look for Deborah on her website (http://www.deborahsoulfulheart.com) and her social media outlets such as Facebook, and Instagram. My deepest and sincere gratitude to Deborah for her time and candidness.
Be safe and happy!
Aileen.
Thank you to Deborah Young, and Zilotis Valentine Photography for your time and collaboration it has been a pleasure. #Deborahyoungartist and #ZilotisValentie
- Lora the Art Explorer
