Jack Yuen is a born-and-bred Islander currently living in Providence, Rhode Island, where he works as a full-time artist. But that doesn’t mean he is any less inspired by the place he grew up.
His love of drawing and painting started at a young age and really developed in high school when he began taking art classes. “I think growing up on the Island, there is just such a supportive art community,” said Yuen. “It really gave me the confidence and the experience to pursue artwork even further.”
After graduating from the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School in 2015, Yuen attended the Rhode Island School of Design, where he studied graphic design with a concentration in nature-culture-sustainability studies. His focus on how art and design can play a role with those latter three topics still informs his bright, iconic Vineyard landscapes and colorful wildlife portraits, which can be seen at the Louisa Gould Gallery in Vineyard Haven.
One of those paintings is the piece at left, titled Rooster. “I’ve painted agricultural animals for quite a while,” said Yuen. This piece came about when he spent a year on the Island in between graduating from college and settling down in Providence with his girlfriend. “I had volunteered [at Mermaid Farm in Chilmark] last summer,” he said. One of the roosters caught his eye, and he knew it would make for a great piece.
Working mostly from memory and a few photographs of the bird, Yuen’s process is both modern and traditional. He initially sketches the composition in pencil onto a board, which he will eventually paint. Next, he transfers the sketch over to a digital imaging program where, he said, “I will play with colors to try to come up with the color combinations.” Once satisfied with his palette, Yuen uses the digital image as a reference when painting. Utilizing his design skills in this way before applying any paint to the board helps him visualize the end result of his work. “It gives you the sense of what the painting will be at its core,” Yuen said.
