“In the midst of upheaval all around us, I find peace in this majestic place… It has become a refuge for me. I know strolling through the special landscape here centers me.”

Fatima Young is a favorite local artist, as well as a valued Bloedel volunteer. Her latest series of works is called “Finding the Light: A Visualization in Nature.” Young began most of these paintings on site at Bloedel Reserve, studying nature and simplifying what she observed to capture nature’s freshness and rhythm.

Chasing small miracles like the sun’s reflection on the Bird Marsh or the light peaking through the branches on the Birch Trail, Young hopes to connect viewers to the landscape through her distinct style of painterly realism. Young uses a palette knife and a bold range of oils to create earth’s rich tones offset by bright contrasts in color and texture. One could say that Young’s paintings have the flair of Russian impressionism with a twist of the sublime. Born in Europe of Russian heritage, Young earned her degrees from F.I.T. and C.W. Post University in New York. Bainbridge Island has been her home for decades.