Derek DeYoung has been an artist since winning his first art contest in the fourth grade. He has also loved to fish since he was kid. Combining his talent and his passion, DeYoung has spent his life painting and fishing. So, it's only natural that he paints fish.
"I grew up on the water and have always been enamored with fishing," he said. "It captures my imagination."
DeYoung will bring his imaginative and expressive fish paintings to Ketchum for Silver Creek Outfitters' Product Fair on Saturday, July 17, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a barbecue by Apple's.
"Ever since I was a teenager, I dreamed about coming out West," DeYoung said. "My family did not travel too much, and after I finished art school I came out West to do art shows. The closest town to the Yellowstone River was Livingston, Mont., and that's where I live."
DeYoung paints oil on canvas. He said he paints out of his imagination because he does not want to reproduce a photo. His most popular series is his "4 in 1" work, a pairing of four different species of trout in one painting.
"The series was a stepping stone in my career," he said. "People have to look twice at the paintings to figure out what's going on."
DeYoung said he puts a great deal of thought into his painting, which tends to be more contemporary than that of his peers. His bright colors are derived from the natural colors of trout, and combined with his imagination, DeYoung's paintings are a fresh interpretation on the region's most sought-after fish.
Sabina Dana Plasse: splasse@mtexpress.com