It’s Day 364 and I’m so happy and excited to do a tribute in honor of my very best friend who happens to be a great artist as well.  I’m so lucky to live with her and see her art everyday AND see her create her art.  Please join me in honoring Karli Donna Young today!

In the beginning there was Me, Carley Young, born and raised in a small town just outside of Vancouver, Canada. Growing up I loved horror movies, Stephen King novels, cartoons and making stuff out of other stuff (a gift from my mother, a crafty person in her own right).

I was an only child early on and spent lots of time pretending I lived inside of a John Bellairs book. I started painting in high school, but it didn’t really stick.

I couldn’t focus on just one thing. I tried sewing and knitting, photography and writing poetry. Again, nothing really stuck. I wanted to do too many things all at once. That’s still kinda true.

My mom says, lovingly, that I am like a lump of coal….there is a diamond in there somewhere, I just need to apply the appropriate pressure and time. I think she’s right.

I don’t want to be ONE thing. I want to be ALL the things. A painter, a quilter, a photographer and a ukulele superstar. I want to build furniture and sew dresses, paint signs and tap dance.

It’s hard to say why I make art, or why I make art the way that I do. I think I like to make things that are aesthetically pleasing to me or things that tap into

my own sense of nostalgia. I am in love with my childhood and all the magic that it holds for me.

I think that love comes through in all the things that I do, artistic or otherwise. I guess I just like to stand back once a project is complete, point and say “I MADE THAT”. I like the sense of accomplishment.

Oh, and I like to put glitter on everything.

I currently live on top of a big hill in El Cerrito, CA. where I ride bikes, make art, play ukulele and pretend I live inside a John Bellairs book.

~

Yay! I had so much fun doing today’s penultimate piece.  Glitter and great colors.  How lucky was I to be able to ask the artist herself throughout my creation any questions I had while creating my piece?  She also accompanied me to the art store to buy supplies this morning!  Including some oils for tomorrow’s Bob Ross tribute!  The FINAL painting!  I will see you then…on Day 365!  Woweeeee!

Best,

Linda