If you enjoy the wilderness and would like to bring a bit of it into your home, the paintings of John Youds fill the bill quite nicely.
Raging rapids, tranquil lakes surrounded by green mountains, gently moving streams tumbling with the rocks beneath, fields with big skies — Youd’s paintings let you drift right into the scene.
Youd’s work reflects his life-long connection to nature.
His creative process begins outdoors where he hikes, photographs and sketches what inspires him.
Using his imagination and his reference material he then completes the interpreted paintings in his studio.
Given his background as a wildlife biologist Youds is especially interested in exploring hidden relationships and inter-connectedness in nature and ecosystems and his paintings reflect this quest.
He explained some of his inspiration to those gathered for the opening of his first major show now titled Interconnectedness Matters on this month upstairs at the Station House Gallery.
For instance in working to bring water to life in one of his close up paintings of a river he realized after long periods of viewing and contemplation that the rocks and water were flowing together, actually holding each other in a kind of elaborate dance which has been going on forever.
He said he is also interested in shapes and historical references and trying to capture the larger picture of where wildlife live.
While he may not be painting every day, Youds says he is always thinking about and struggling with how to express the interconnectedness in nature and also how humans relate to their environment in his work.
Youds had a passion for drawing and painting from an early age, but put that love on hold at age 28 in favour of family and a 33 year career as a wildlife biologist.
Two years ago he opted for early retirement and returned to his childhood passion for painting.
In that way he considers himself to be a “new, old artist.”
Youds is a self-taught artist, though he did receive art instruction through high school and was influenced by his parents, who were both painters.
Youds has previously shown his work in the Williams Lake Art Walk and at the New World Coffeehouse. The current show at the Station House gallery is John’s first showing in a public gallery.