We were lucky to catch up with Yong Hui No recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Yong Hui, thanks for joining us today. What’s the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?

In October 2023, I had a solo art exhibition at the Amuse Bouche Art Gallery and an artist reception. Due to the well-attended art show, I sold many of my paintings that night, making it a successful event! The support from my family, friends, and coworkers who came has brought me so much joy and appreciation for them! This art exhibit was an unforgettable experience that I will never forget!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Yong Hui No was born in South Korea and moved to the United States with her family when she was in Junior High school. She currently resides in Taylorsville, Utah. Her passion for art began at a young age. Her interest in fine art was sparked by being surrounded by art, dance, and music as a child.

Yong’s journey in art began with her fascination for ancient Asian art. She always harbored a desire to become an artist and was particularly drawn to the vibrant effects of color on canvas. Over the years, she explored various mediums such as Sumie, pastel, oil, and acrylic before ultimately falling in love with watercolor as her favorite medium.

Yong graduated from West High School, where she started to flourish as an artist from a young age. She had mentors like Maurine Haltiner, who nurtured her love for art and motivated her to explore her artistic talents. Maurine Haltiner even bought the first painting Yong ever sold, inspiring the young student.

Yong was awarded a scholarship to the University of Utah, where she received her B.F.A. During her time there she learned from accomplished individuals like Edward Maryon, Paul Davies and Tony Smith.

Yong has been a member of the Utah Watercolor Society and Sandy Guild Watercolor for many years. She enjoys the pleasure of rubbing shoulders with a variety of talented artists. She enjoys painting with other artists as well. She has continued to advance her painting skills over the years by attending workshops from well-known artists like Ian Ramsay, Fabio Cembranelli and I had the pleasure of exhibiting with Pilar Pobil, just name a few. In addition to displaying at galleries and teaching beginner students, she has enjoyed doing commissioned work upon request. She has learned to fine-tune her craft by focusing on watercolor techniques due to the influence of instructors as well as taking art classes.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Although I had always wanted to be an artist when I was growing up, I encountered some challenges in my career. During my college years, I began working in retail as I attempted to make it in life. Following that, I have held numerous other jobs, such as travel agent, call center representative for credit companies, mortgages, and so on.

The jobs I tried failed to meet my needs. Despite everything, I remained committed to my dream job, which is in the art industry. My goal was to improve my abilities and improve my skills. Learning from my mistakes was the key to my growth which took me a while to realize. You do need to focus on your goals. I finally received a call oneday that I had forgotten about, which was the career I wanted to pursue as an IT Analyst, which involved developing websites. Never give up on your dreams and never give up on hope!

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is having the freedom to express my creativity on canvas and sharing it with the world! Watching someone respond to my artwork in a profound way is one of the best feelings as an artist. My most recent experience has been being featured with other local artists in the Millcreek City Journal. It is awesome to be recognized in the community and this lets me know I am headed in the right path.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://yongsart.com
• Instagram: yongh_artist
• Facebook: yongno.inspirationalpaintings

Image Credits

Devin Zander