Carl was blessed to grow up in a home with many beautiful works of art, and in a family that not only understood the importance and value of art, but also encouraged artistic pursuits. Creating visually stimulating images and forms was—from early on—an enormous part of Carl’s life.
He studied photography at the Art Center School of Design in Pasadena, California in the 1970s, and began his career as a sports photographer in 1979. Capturing great moments of the sports he loved was extremely exciting and fulfilling. His career grew to include many aspects of outdoor photography, including: travel, adventure, fashion, extreme sports, winter competitive sports(just about anything on snow), as well as many types of commercial advertising.
As an avid cyclist for years(and a bike repair guru), Carl had been accumulating all sorts of bicycle parts, along with other random pieces of metal. This turned into the creative hobby of making clocks and other items for friends and family. He eventually added forging and sculpting to his “toolbox” and started creating larger visual forms.
Carl was someone who was always expanding his knowledge so that he could continue to grow in his artistic journey. He loved learning and seemed to be naturally good at almost everything he did—a bit of a renaissance man.
He felt blessed to have been able to continue the tradition his parents began—always encouraging his own family to pursue their artistic endeavors. His wife Retta has been a musician all her life. She and their daughter, Emily Yarbrough Skibba(also a musician) perform regularly together. Their son Sean Yarbrough, is a truly amazing painter and sculptor, and is carrying on the business that he and Carl started together- www.sacredsteelwork.com
Carl journeyed from this world to the next very unexpectedly on September 14, 2022. He is dearly missed. Thank you for showing an interest in his work and life. For purchasing or other inquiries, please email: