Rick Young’s paintings bring the rural Southwest to life in vivid color, with a romantic, at times whimsical, eye. Evoking a sense of nostalgia for a pastoral life lived close to the land, they transport viewers to a simpler, more tranquil, world.
RICK YOUNG: Painter of the Vivid and Romantic Southwest
Rick Young’s original oil paintings bring the rural Southwest to life in vivid color, with a romantic, at times whimsical, eye. Evoking a profound sense of nostalgia for a pastoral life lived close to the land, his artwork transports viewers to a simpler, more tranquil world.
Rick Young is a highly celebrated contemporary Western artist renowned for his luminous, vivid landscape oil paintings of the American Southwest. Masterfully capturing the unique light, sprawling mesas, and quiet rural beauty of the region, Young’s highly collectible portfolio offers a romantic reimagining of pastoral life that deeply resonates with collectors of Southwestern fine art.
The Journey to the Western Canvas
Young’s artistic journey is rooted in a deep, evolving relationship with the Western landscape. After earning his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Miami University in Ohio, he followed his passion westward, settling in the mountains of Colorado. Over time, his artistic focus shifted from the towering high-country summits to the sweeping, light-drenched mesas and canyons of the Southwest desert.
By immersing himself in the land and coming to know its many moods and guises, Young developed a truly unique, contemporary impressionistic approach to capturing the Western landscape in oils.
The Historian’s Brush: Documenting the Human Imprint
What truly sets Rick Young apart in the Santa Fe fine art scene is his profound historical understanding of the regions he paints. While earning a Master of Arts in U.S. History at the University of Colorado at Denver, he meticulously researched the Southern Ute Indians. This extensive academic work culminated in his award-winning published book, The Ute Indians of Colorado in the Twentieth Century (University of Oklahoma Press, 1997).
Young calls upon this deep, scholarly knowledge of the diverse peoples of the Southwest—Native American, Hispano, and Anglo—to better depict the historical and cultural human imprint on the land. Whether painting a quiet adobe church, a vibrant chamisa bush on the edge of a canyon, or a serene river gorge, a strong, unifying theme in his original Western artwork is the harmonious presence of the human element within the natural landscape.
Awards, Exhibitions, and Collectibility
Today, Rick Young’s nostalgic landscape paintings are highly sought after by collectors. His masterful work has garnered numerous prestigious awards at the Front Range Art Exhibit, the Santa Fe Trail International Art Show in Trinidad, Colorado, and the Romancing the Arts show in Castle Rock, Colorado, where his paintings took home the coveted “Best of Show” award in 2008, 2010, 2012, and 2016.
Rick currently lives and works from his studio in Castle Rock, Colorado, with his wife, daughter, and two dogs.
Discover the vibrant, romantic artwork of Rick Young, proudly represented by Acosta Strong Fine Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
