My name is Kelly Young and I am an artist and graphic designer by profession. Grace (Gracie), my 10-year-old daughter is diagnosed with low functioning autism and Hypotonic CP (low muscle tone). Her motor skills and speaking ability are greatly compromised by her condition and this makes it difficult for Gracie to express herself. Art has always been an outlet for me and I am hoping it will become one for Gracie to also be able to use for self-expression.
As Artist-In-Residence of the Civic Orchestra my project is to create a series of artwork for each concert that incorporates Gracie’s paintings with my graphic design and fine art elements. As the musicians are preparing for each concert, Gracie and I will be preparing a series of art pieces to go with the music they will be playing. So there will be a total of 4 different series presented across the 4 different concerts performed by the Civic Orchestra.
Our process begins with listening to the music repeatedly to become familiar with the melodies and rhythms. Using acrylic inks, we painted together while the music plays in the background. I digitally combined these paintings with my illustrations, photography and music notation taken from the conductor’s score. The finished 24×36 inch prints on canvas are individually embellished with a combination of different transparent liquid medium finishes to add texture and dimension.