Karah Younger has always shown a talent for art. With encouragement from family and friends to practice her passion, she has gained experience over the years pursue her passions been interested in art. After starting on a few different education paths, she has finally found the one that best suits her background and career interests. She has also been able to pivot her craft during this difficult time to expand her style and commissions.
Younger is a senior marketing student at the University of Southern Mississippi. She grew up in Pascagoula and has been drawing from a young age, even selling some of these drawings to her neighbors. Eventually, she began drawing portraits of family friends.
Younger did well in school and received tennis and ACT scholarships to attend Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in Perkinston where she took all of the art and design classes they offered.
“I had amazing, encouraging art teachers and sharpened my skills in a wonderful program and facility,” she said.
Still unsure of a career path when leaving MGCCC, she knew she wanted to keep doing art and decided to pursue architecture at Mississippi State. After realizing the program was not the right fit, she returned to Pascagoula for a while before pursing graphic design at Belhaven University. That program wasn’t quite right either, and she then settled in to study marketing at the University of Southern Mississippi.
“I’ve had quite the journey, but I’ve never given up on improving my skills as an artist and designer,” she said.
Younger chose marketing because the field allowed her to use her graphic design and artistic skills as well as her math abilities. Younger will graduate from the marketing program at USM this May.
Over the past few years, she has received a number of commissions, including designing logos and T-shirts as well as painting paintings, painting murals, and drawing portraits. In Ocean Springs, she won a state-wide mural design contest for the Rooftop Taco and Tequila Bar, providing a piece of artwork to the scale of the wall. She was also one of seven artists in Pascagoula who got the opportunity to paint a utility box to embody the spirit of the coast.
“I have a diverse set of projects that have made me into the artist I am today,” she said, adding that the diversity has made her style hard to describe – settling on abstract realism. “My artwork style is more realistic, but I also do projects that are more ‘abstract’ that include texture.”
Currently, and in the light of the coronavirus outbreak, she has been working on commissions for acrylic paintings and watercolor portraits.
“I received many orders for Mother’s Day illustrations,” she said. “I could see this transitioning into a small business painting watercolor family, engagement, wedding portraits. It would also include house and pet portraits.”
With graduation looming, Younger said that she has an idea for a collection that she’s hoping to be able to focus more on with more time.
“Although people tell me that I’m very talented, I honestly could not do what I do without God’s provision and strength,” she said. “Some projects are more challenging than others and I rely on God for my strength during those times. He gave me this gift and I can’t wait to see how I can use it for His glory.”
See more of Karah’s work on her Facebook page. You can also see her portfolio here.
