To honor the victims and all of the people who influence our lives McCartney puts them in her artwork.

She first did it to honor the five victims. She donated the work, called “Our Choice,” to a company that makes T-shirts. Proceeds went to victims’ families.

But she since has put together a portfolio of more works with “influences” in them.

It’s for “every person we’ve ever come in contact with,” Carly said. Some “we’re not even aware of their impact. Each figure is another perspective.”

The tragedy has affected her life in another way, too. After considering careers as a veterinarian, dog trainer, doctor and criminologist, she now wants to get into art therapy.

“I’ve seen what art can do. It’s powerful,” she said. “It can help people in certain circumstances.”

Carly, 17, said when students came back to school after the shooting, “We were numb, not engaged at all.”

Therapy dogs were all over campus, providing comfort to students. They decided on a project where students would draw the dogs.

“Art helps people express themselves,” Carly said.

Carly has enjoyed art as far back as she can remember, age 3 or 4. “It’s something I always remember doing,” she said.

While artistic talent runs somewhat in her family, Carly didn’t want to be a “starving artist” so she didn’t think of it seriously as a career until middle school. She now plans to major in Fine Arts in college, either at Cornish or Western or in Chicago where she has received $63,000 in scholarships. “But it’s still expensive and far away,” she said.

Carly’s style is “surreal” using mixed medium including charcoal, graphite, markers, pen and ink, colored pencils and acrylic paints.

Her Advanced Placement art teacher the past three years, Karen Epperson, said Carly has natural talent, but she also is a hard worker, accepting advice to make her work better.

I’m impressed “with the sophistication of her work. There’s so much thought and deep meaning,” Epperson said.

When she first met Carly as a freshman, she had raw talent but was unsure, her teacher said.

“There was so much going on; it was busy and confusing,” Epperson said of Carly’s work, adding it’s now more focused.

Along with that, Epperson has tried to help her gain confidence.

“Her ideas, I don’t want to stifle those,” Epperson said, and “by putting her work out there and winning awards” it has helped her self-esteem.

Carly won seven honors at the recent Scholastic Art Awards. “Our Choice” won a Gold Key, along with two other works. She also won two Silver Keys and two Honorable Mentions.

Carly said she does most of her artwork at home, in her studio, which she also uses as her bedroom. She likes working freestyle, but much of her artwork is complicated, so she uses a draft. She finds those limiting; she can’t be as expressive. She said her artwork feels tighter.

Certainly the shooting could be part of it. She still is intense when talking about the tragedy. She could look to her own artwork for inspiration.

“We are united because it is our pathway of choice” at M-P, her artwork says.

She added: We need to “move on and support each other. Learn from the tragedy. Good things can happen in spite of this. Live for each other. All lives are valuable.”

A deep thinker, Carly said everyone continually evolves.

“Everyone is like a canvas,” she said. “But I don’t think it’s ever really completed.”