Under Construction - MHWA Retreat

An art teacher I once had said, "The best art will fuck you up in the head and make you think." The artist in that article definitely displays those qualities in his ink interpretations. Also, I find it symbolic that he uses ink as a medium. Unlike paint or pencil, which can be chipped away or erased, ink is often more permanent. When on the skin, paint can be washed away, while ink stains and is harder to wash away.

I paint odd abstract art. Painting can be healing for me in almost a meditative way. I'm a messy painter, often using my hands as well as the brushes when painting. I love the way paint on my hands feels. For some reason, this is calming for me.

I've always just considered my interest and abilities in art were a genetic trait because my parents and other relatives were artists of some sort. Although, now that you ask about the question about creativity and mental illness, I am wondering if that is why too. Mental illness runs in my family. My mother was is an amazing artist who paints realism in disturbing ways and just happens to have BPD. My brother is an excellent artist and he is not well, so I suspect he is undiagnosed bipolar or something of that sort. My biological father and step-father who raised me both were musicians and songwriters, who struggled with depression.

** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only **
"Invalid Item"