About Christie Younger
Christie Younger was born and raised in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where she enjoyed a childhood filled with adventures in the countryside, sailing, horseback riding, and traveling the world with her family. Encouraged by her parents to explore her artistic talents, Christie delved into various disciplines, including painting, ceramics, and sculpture.
Despite obtaining a degree in biology from Appalachian State University, her passion for art persisted, leading her to further education in graphic design and fine arts. Christie's diverse background in both biological science and fine arts laid the foundation for her unique artistic perspective, which ultimately is intended to convey light, beauty, and simplicity while simultaneously expressing the complexities within a subject finding balance between contradictions and beauty in imperfection.
After residing in Boone for 12 years, Christie and her husband, Travis Younger, made the significant decision to relocate to Raleigh, NC. It was here that they laid the foundation for their family, and Christie transitioned from her career to become a dedicated full-time stay-at-home mom to their children, Colin, Camille, and Reese. However, amidst the joys of motherhood, Christie felt a persistent calling to pursue a higher purpose. Unable to ignore this inner conviction, she eventually yielded to God's gentle yet insistent whisper, which echoed in her heart over the span of two years: "just paint." Thus began Christie's journey of artistic exploration, as she delved into various mediums and techniques, seeking to express her innermost creativity.
Fueled by a desire for creative freedom and authenticity, Christie's artistic evolution led her to discover her distinctive style of painting that blends a very unique style of palette knife painting with traditional brush work topped off with sgraffito —a method traditionally used in ceramics where the top layers are scratched off revealing color underneath. Her "scratches, scribbles", and gestural markings are an ode to her original sketches, often covered in traditional painting. Christie believes that the original sketch is the closest one can get to an original thought...the genesis of creativity, thus connecting the viewer to her entire process —from original thought to finished painting.
"They honor the original thought behind the creation of the work… The most pure form of creativity is the beginning, when the thought or actions meet the canvas for the first time. The middle, and end are also important but I think the beginning gets left out too much."
She pushes this idea further by deconstructing her view into simpler elements and destroying the obvious while simultaneously including authentic moments to convey more elaborate ideas. She is intrigued with contrasting interactions; simple vs. complex, classic vs. modern, clarity vs. ambiguity, order vs. chaos, etc. She uses texture and line to define form by sculpting oil paint with her palette knife, brush, and pencil while scratching away paint to bring to life a painting that displays imperfect beauty in a very unique style.
Rejecting conformity and embracing spontaneity, Christie allowed her art to evolve organically, guided by her intuition and faith. A perfectionist by nature, she rejects this perfectionism by allowing authentic moments to exists within her work.
“My art, I hope, coveys the dichotomy between perfection’s existence despite very obvious imperfection and illuminates the frail and fickle nature of our definitions of perfection. I hope the viewer will see something beautiful initially. Yet upon further investigation, I hope they find unhindered blemishes and a messy situation as they get to know my art better. This is both intentional and unintentional as a result of an imperfect artist who has accepted her imperfection only to build upon it to create perfection.”
Christie finds the most freedom of expression through various subject matter but is most known for her floral still lifes, abstracts, and landscapes. However, not to place limits on herself, she at times enjoys experimentation with other subjects while working with several mediums and tools at times...because...
“An artist should never be a prisoner of himself, prisoner of style, prisoner of reputation, prisoner of success.” Henri Matisse
As Christie's career as an artist has flourished, she began turning the heads of those in the industry leading to her work being featured in prestigious galleries, international art magazines, and on platforms like HGTV. Her paintings have garnered attention for their unique blend of beauty and imperfection, attracting collectors and critics alike in the thousands worldwide.
Despite Christie's successful art career and her husband Travis's success in the commercial construction industry, another call was placed on their hearts. After much contemplation and prayer, they left the comfort of suburban life and moved their family from Raleigh, NC to the foothills of North Carolina to live in Travis's hometown community of North Wilkesboro and Wilkesboro, NC in 2021. After two years of custom homebuilding, they have finally settled on family land that has been in their family since the 1800's.
In Wilkesboro, with each passing day, the purpose behind the Lord's guidance becomes more evident for Christie as she felt a calling towards entrepreneurship and creativity without limits. The transition from her individual pursuits to, now numerous, collaborative ventures with her business partners— Fruit of the Vine Boutique, The Charm Bar Company, and CBCo.— allows Christie to use her talents in many different ways.
As Christie looks to the future, she is steadfast in her commitment to align her art and actions with God's plan. Not only does Christie continue to paint and create, she aspires to broaden her artistic horizons by venturing into fashion, jewelry, and other creative avenues. Her goal is to extend the reach of God's beauty and love to as many individuals as possible, leveraging their creative endeavors to inspire and uplift hearts with hope.
"In essence, my heartfelt wish is for individuals to view me as an instrument through which God's glory shines." As poignantly articulated by Amy Carmichael,
“Love through me, Love of God; Make me like thy clear air Through which, unhindered, colors pass As though it were not there.
Powers of the love of God, Depths of the heart Divine, O love that faileth not, break forth, And flood this world of Thine.”
Learn more about Christie's endeavors by clicking below...
