Mary M. Young
I was born in the Bay Area and demonstrated my early interest in art by by copying the images from the Old Maid card game and Dennis the Menace cartoon books. And I can still remember the smell of the tempera paints and the thrill of holding a paintbrush while painting at an actual easel in kindergarten! I continued to pursue my passion for art by mixing fine art classes with graphic design courses at San Jose State University where I received a BA degree in Art. The next decade was spent free-lancing in the commercial art field deriving tremendous enjoyment from designing and illustrating ads, brochures, logos and company identities. I then spent the following years raising a family working part, then full time jobs. Upon retirement, I returned to my original calling of the fine art world. Figures and faces are always a source of inspiration and in looking to my past through vintage family photos, I was inspired to recreate them, imagining the colors of the time in art peices. Nature also invokes my creative spirit and much time is spent enjoying the beauty of the outdoors while painting en plein air.