Kara Young

"My work is about witnessing how the passing of time affects the appearance of surfaces in the world around us. I see nature in all Her beauty, and I express this artistically in contemporary ways."

Kara Young, who has worked as a fiber mixed-media artist since the beginning of her career, is inspired by visits to ancient ruins, colorful rock canyons, and searching for petroglyphs and aged, cracked walls and doors in beautiful old cities such as San Miguel de Allende. Her work is seen as ancient, but also contemporary, fitting well into many different environmental settings.

Young's wall pieces are made with 85% thickly cast Abaca handmade paper. Integrated into the compositions are other materials and found objects. Crackled joint compound is used to age the surfaces, which are further enhanced with copper leaf, fired copper pieces, and acrylic paint. And now, many of the pieces are also infused with encaustic.

She majored in sculpture at Ohio State University, 1969-73, and has worked in weaving, art clothing design, and papermaking for the past twenty-one years. In 1986-87 she apprenticed with mixed-media artist Leo Hobaica. Above all, her study of art has come through witnessing Nature, seeing how She orders Herself and how She curves to the elements. This education is continuous and never ending.