Anne Young is an emerging artist who is based in her hometown, Flagstaff, AZ. She strives to depict human life in a realistic and uplifting way primarily through the media of charcoal, graphite, and oil paint, though she also dabbles in acrylic, watercolor and colored pencil. She grew up in a large homeschooling family, and spent her free time drawing people on sheets of copy paper with a mechanical pencil. She began to get portrait commissions in high school, which encouraged her to pursue art further. Classes at Coconino Community College made her motivation skyrocket, and in 2023 she received the Student of the Year Award in Fine Arts, and graduated with honors in 2024 with her AFA. While pursuing her education, she worked part-time as a children’s art teacher, and as an illustrator for a children’s book. She is currently creating a business selling custom portraits and landscapes in AZ, and enjoys working in her makeshift studio and alongside others in the Flagstaff art community.

Artist Statement: 

In my art I seek to portray my subjects as lifelike as possible as a tribute to the real world that we so desperately try to escape from. The world is dark and far from perfect, yet I would rather point to where there is light. There are ordinary things that give life beauty, from the complexities of running water to the soft texture of a baby’s cheek. In the process of sketching, and using smooth layers of charcoal and smears of paint, I open my own eyes to perceive beauty in a new way, and am often surprised. A wrinkled hand might not beckon a second glance, but once it’s drawn out, it suddenly becomes interesting and complex. A face might not win in a beauty pageant, but if it is accurately portrayed on a sheet of paper with all its little “flaws”, it’s suddenly elevated to a higher level of wonder. Through my portraits and landscapes, I hope to counter some of the disillusionment in our fast-paced society with the truth, beauty, and goodness that's found in simple, everyday living.

Contact Information:

Email: anneyoungartist@gmail.com

Phone Number: 928.600.9802

Website/Socials: www.anneyoungartistry.com, https://www.instagram.com/anneyoung.art?igsh=aDlpbmQ1OTF5YmZq