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This painting was entered into NAMI Wisconsin’s “Healing Art Show” and was an honorable mention when the show opened. It’s called Fusion, mainly because I painted this painting while having a mixed Bipolar episode. While being both manic and depressed, I couldn’t find anything to save my life… I rummaged through my house and eventually came across some old paints and some tagboard. I began painting, just using my hands at first, and it felt amazing. As the paint slid through my fingers I began to feel release from the pain I was in mentally and emotionally. I felt free, and began to come down from an extremely difficult “high” and very “low” and managed to mellow out my mood a bit.
Pompous Aristocrats: The flawed perception of art and art styles that we are all guilty of.“
Art is supposed to represent what the first amendment stands for. That is what I was taught to believe years ago. Apparently, times continue to change for worse instead of better. Today, I would just like to take this time to share my experience with you all about art and why I feel so indifferent about it now. Before you start reading, I am not asking for any sympathy points. I am a man who has been told worse and continues to be critiqued for a very long time. To some people, they would quit and move on. But for me, it just drives me and makes this man hungry for more knowledge/understanding. Thank you for your time from your busy schedule and with all that is going on with COVID-19/many unfortunate events that happened in 2020, I hope you all have learned something from my story today. This following story has been built up since I was first introduced the word “Art.”
[Art]ificiality
The bickering warm light,
tempered by a cold grey irony…
Somewhere—
the art of children’s laughter
the art of airy coquetry
the art of a neighborhood at ease
And yet, here, a dire chapter.
How fair the trees in their late spring fashion
with their shade to quench the summer passion.
…that haunts about these stark white walls
Plagued with the black mould
of what is felt, but left, nonetheless, untold:
the dark ill nature of secrets all.
The idylls of a domicile
can be, so easily
Harshened by the pained recollection…
of a fractured tale.
Only a pensive mood as this
could ever reconcile and brood
all these vast differences.
The wings of thought recondite
clipped by sheer reality….
-Ansel Oommen
An Artist’s Journey
artist’s statement:
“The creation of art is about perception, perception that only can be perceived starting with the mind and traveling to the eyes and heart.”
artist’s bio:
Artist Kenneth Newsom has always been a dreamer. Attending Midland College and then Texas Tech, he studied general studies, landscape architecture, and art history, which shaped his love for art. Having never taken an art or drawing course, he applied the skills he acquired and developed his very own unique style and technique. Moving to Tyler was a period of time that proved to be challenging because he felt like the new kid on the block and didn’t know anyone.
Kenneth Newsom struggles day in and day out with mental illness. Depressive behavior, anxiety, and ADHD primarily. Even tho he firmly believes this mental illness has been around all his life, it just started to come real to him in 2005 when he moved to San Antonio to take a job after school.
Scared, confused about life, and just needing a job he ventured on this journey in 2004 and 2005 not knowing what future God has in store for me?? He would get up early go to work and come straight home from work in the evenings was pretty much his routine. Yes, he realized this behavior could make anybody go crazy! But looking back, he considered it a blessing in disguise, this routine allowed him to “think.” Think about his life, past, present, and future! At the present he realized he had a mental condition, a chemical imbalance that is not uncommon among people, especially of my generation and younger generations!!
Nami member and artist Jose Rodrigues with Art of his Faith. Jose self-published Devotional work entitled the Art of My Faith. He feel that medication, listening to his Doctor and his Faith were the greatest keys to recovery.
Polly’s Story
I spent the better part of my adulthood being a fine art photographer and painter. After 25 years of hard work and success including awards, shows and published work, I decided it was time to put together a book with my art and my story.
I didn’t realize that the big story was the one I always hid. My bipolar disorder. My editor working with me to publish the book asked me to journal about several things; my childhood, my art career, and my purpose in life.
Mental Health and My Art Journaling
My name is John Friday. I have been around for a little over sixty-five years. Although I have pursued my creative side off and on over the years, it wasn’t until 2012, as a result of a friend sharing their art journal experience with me, that I discovered my own story to share through my artwork. The compositions of most of my current watercolor creations have been pretty dark. In addition, because of the size of the projects, they have been time consuming. I watched my friend share her art journaling experience with other mental health peers. The peers were loving it. I was intrigued by their enthusiasm for art journaling. I approached my friend, and she shared with me the basic concept and process of art journaling. I began exploring this avenue of self-expression online. Fact is, there are no rules. The path one takes with art journaling is as broad and unique as the individual using it.
Then, in November of 2014, I was having a particularly difficult time with my mental health struggles related to my time in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam Conflict/War. This was not a new experience for me. For a long time, Veteran’s Day has been a trigger for me, stirring up all sorts of memories, feelings of guilt, and regrets at not having done more. Usually, I stuff my feelings, get irritable, moody, and ride out the storm of my emotions. This time, however, I chose to reach out to two sources for help in managing my wellness. I met with my therapist, who was also a veteran. He guided me to see, for the first time, that I was doing a disservice to myself, to other veterans, and especially to the memory of the souls who had made the ultimate sacrifice. Like all those who serve in the military, past and present, I too took an oath to hand over my life to our country to be used as they see fit for the wellbeing of the people of our country.
Call Me Crazy, I Dare You
I go to WPIC of UPMC for my treatment. Over the last 3 years they’ve had a patient contest to design the NAMIWalks tshirt for the WPIC team. I entered all three years and won the first 2 (they used an employee submission last year). This was the original uncoloured sketch of my third entry - I was trying to depict depression as a thick forest you can’t get out of. The girl on the right holding the flower is my therapist (she laughed) and I’m the girl with the bun on her head.
I go to WPIC of UPMC for my treatment. Over the last 3 years they’ve had a patient contest to design the NAMIWalks T-shirt for the WPIC team. I entered all three years and won the first 2 (they used an employee submission last year). This is my first entry - I wanted to show how bipolar disorder affects people’s families so the little faces around the figures are family members.