One of my assignments from my Basic Skills in Psychotherapy course was to create a self portrait with words of how I aspire to be within my profession.

Although I must admit that I am way better looking than this representation, I definitely enjoyed this introspective and fun assignment.

All of the words listed below can be found within the Angela Anaconda styled sketch. It is my desire to carry these traits in my profession and also in life:

#Faith-Based
#Considerate
#Rich
#Honest
#Confident
#Humorous
#Diverse
#Perspectives
#Reassuring
#Listener
#HereAndNow
#Competent
#Open-Minded
#Adlerian
#Creative
#SocialJustice
#Respectful
#ConstantLearner
#Empathetic
#Advocate
#MulticulturallyCompetent
#Healer
#ArtTherapist
#PsyDorPhD
#Personable
#Ethical
#Reliable

2 Samuel 22: The Rescue of David
oil on canvas
36 x 24"

Artist Statement:
This painting was a prophetic painting performed live during a Pentecostal Service at All Nations Worship Assembly on Sunday, May 19th. My spiritual leader, Dr. Matthew Stevenson has taught messages on using your praise to bring in the Presence of the Lord to give you power and favor to heal, bind, release, and move. David is an example of someone who understood the power of potent praise, and his life was blessed because of it. This painting is based on 2 Samuel 22:1-24 which provides a vivid description of how the Lord supernaturally descended from heaven and rescued David out of the hands of his enemies.

Because of David’s humility and passion for worshiping God, the Lord remained with him. Some examples are God delivering him from Goliath, from Saul, from backsliding, from his enemies in Israel, from Absalom, and from his own sinful passions. Like any one of us, David was not a perfect person. He made mistakes, yet he was a righteous man and had the shield of God over his life because of his righteousness.

My hope is that this painting exemplifies how David was rescued by our passionate and loving father, and that its message will encourage other people to depend on God to deliver them from any difficult or tormenting situation.

Reference: 2 Samuel 22: 1-24, KJV

Richard MacDonald is a renowned sculptor known for his bronze figurative sculptures of athletes and dancers. When I was in Las Vegas, Nevada, I visited The Art of Richard MacDonald: Fine Art Gallery located within the Bellagio which is presented by the courtesy of Cirque du Soleil. I became fascinated and inspired with his style of figurative art, the realism of the acrobat and dancer bodies, the way the light hit the sculptures, and also the passion behind his vision for his Cirque du Soleil themed sculptures.

He graduated cum laude in 1971 from the Art Center College of Design. He was originally an illustrator and painter with relative success. Until the most tragic but greatest thing happened to him, a fire took place in California that completely destroyed his studio and all of his artwork. As an artist, I can imagine the loss and the pain that would result from having the items that you’ve poured your time, heart, and soul into completely obliterated.

What inspires me the most about his story, is that he was resilient, despite the great loss he continued to make art and dared to experiment and immerse himself into even greater work. After that incident, he began to explore new mediums in art and subsequently began working with ceramics and bronze sculpting which has led him to even greater success.

Resilience and human triumph are themes that are constantly related throughout his artwork which is the main reason why I find him to be so inspirational. All people experience trauma, grief, depression, devastation, but it is important for us to push through and endure until the end. The difficult seasons do come to an end and victory will be there to greet you.

He is an artist that believes beauty connects people and lifts their spirits to a higher level. He has dedicated his career to making a difference by creating passionate works of art that enrich the lives of others. His artwork is inspired by the human form which is used to make expressive statements about the many dimensions of being a human which include triumph, resiliency, discipline, spiritual realities, and emotions. Below are a few photos of Richard in his artistic process and his final creations:

For more information on Richard MacDonald you may go to www.richardmacdonald.com.

I came across this book in Barnes and Noble by Sam Piyasena and Beverly Philip and thought it was encouraging because it empowers any ordinary person to embrace their innate creativity. Every person has the capacity to create something great, it is just important to discover that greatness. This book is full of relaxing art directives that stimulate the mind.

Here is the description for the book:

“This unusual book serves several different purposes, starting with its guaranteed appeal to both professionals and amateurs who like to pick up a pencil and draw. Art students seeking a change of pace will respond to the authors’ very informal approach, seeing the lessons as fun-to-do confidence builders that emphasize the value of creative freedom. Every exercise can be performed by artists at all levels of training and ability.”

I was scrolling and came across a page that talked about how Salvador Dali was influenced by Sigmund Freud’s theories on psychoanalysis of the unconscious mind. Dali has explained many times that his artwork is based on his perception of his own dreams.

So Philip, encouraged readers to do what Salvador Dali did and create something based on a personal dream. These are the instructions:

1. Put a sketchbook next to your bed.

2. Immediately when you wake up, draw any images or messages from your dream.

3. In your drawing, try to express the emotional and visual characteristics of your dream.

4. The drawings could come out being literal depictions or more abstract and expressive interpretations.

I finally completed this exercise and here are my results:

Stephen Wiltshire is an artist from London who draws and paints realistic, detailed cityscapes. He has a gift of photographic memory where he is able to complete entirely accurate representations of a city with only briefly observing it. At age three, Stephen was diagnosed with Autism. In his childhood he was completely mute until the age of five, but he used art as his language to communicate with the world. The first word that he spoke was “paper”.

He realized that the only thing that he enjoyed was creating art, and he became dedicated to creating. Stephen studied Fine Art at City & Guilds Art College in London. His artwork has become popular all over the world, and owned by many influential art collectors.

You may view his artwork at http://www.stephenwiltshire.co.uk/. Check out this video to learn more about Stephen Wiltshire:

“Do the best you can, and never stop.” -Stephen Wiltshire