Hello! My name is Maribel Young and I’m a freelance artist based in Nevada City, California. I am inspired by nature's colors, movement, and shapes; and love to experiment with different mediums and styles ranging from realism to abstraction.
I create what I like and what brings me joy. I keep it simple. I don’t have deep philosophical meanings for my art and you won’t see me using technical, flowery, scholarly words to describe my work.
For me, art is fun and I love to play with acrylics, watercolors, and mixed media materials. I don’t stick to one style of art or worry about trends or mass market appeal. My personal goal is to enjoy the creative process and incite joy through my art.
Truth be told, I started painting for myself . My intent was to fill the walls of our new home with affordable beautiful original art that brought me joy, while having fun and learning to paint. Which leads me to my next objective, to create affordable original art accessible to folks like me.
How it all Began.
Funny story…my journey as an artist began in the summer of 2019 at a Paint-and-Sip event. Just for kicks my husband, mom and I went to an event where for a couple of hours an artist showed all the participants how to paint the same picture step by step. It was my very first time ever using an easel and painting on a canvas with acrylic paint. It was so much FUN!
My mom enjoyed the experience so much that I gave us both paint-and-sip vouchers for Christmas!
Unfortunately, before our first session in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit and all events were cancelled. We were given a bag with little containers of paints, a set of brushes, and canvases, along with a link for a video with painting instructions.
Throughout the pandemic I continued having fun exploring my art skills while experimenting and learning to paint in various mediums and styles. I spent hours learning from Google University, watching video tutorials and reading about different painting techniques and materials I could use.
Fast forward three and a half years, and in January of 2023 I retired from my corporate job and signed-up for a couple art workshops. Shortly after, I participated in a student-teacher art show and sold several paintings… my first art sales!
Honestly, I was surprised people wanted to purchase my artwork and I never expected to call myself an artist. Blessed with the support and encouragement from friends and teachers, I have found the travelled path by artist and I look forward to the journey ahead.
Student/Teacher Art Show at ASiF Studios
