Derek DeYoung was born on a bayou near the shores of Lake Michigan where his love of fishing was ignited. Over the years his art has veered from the classical fishing art, placing more importance on using a unique style and palette. Using oil paints on canvas, he artfully captures all the subtle intricacies fish possess; their patterns, dimension and texture.
Derek explains, “When hiking up a small mountain stream, I’m not just chasing trout, I’m searching for a magical experience or vision that will inspire me, and raise my paintings to that next level. For me, the most inspiration comes once I’ve landed a particularly beautiful fish. I hold it up, tilting the fish back and forth in the sunlight, allowing all the subtle colors and patterns to come alive. After setting the fish back into the water and releasing it into the depths, the only thing left to do is get back to my studio to bring that fish to to life on my canvas.”
If Derek is not in his Livingston, Montana studio working on a painting, you’ll likely find him fly fishing one of the many trout streams nearby. We caught up with Derek between fishing trips and art shows to have him share a little of his personal story and exhilarating fishing adventures and experiences in Montana, Alaska and the Florida Keys.
