SOUL
Camas , Washington
Angela Swanson IN HER OWN WORDS
Over the past few years , I ’ ve learned more about myself than I imagined I could .
To explore my mental health while in a depression , I started making expressive art . It grew organically from there . People began showing interest in my work . I sold a few pieces , which built my confidence . I changed careers and started making art every second I could . I exhibited my art in group and solo shows . I joined several local arts organizations , meeting countless inspiring Pacific Northwest artists . I got involved more by volunteering for them in webmaster roles . Building art-related websites turned into a form of art for me . I also founded a consortium of artists called Sweet Papaya Arts . As a whole , these steps have opened my mind and transformed my journey in ways I wouldn ’ t trade for the world .
I began my self-teaching journey by learning formal techniques and concepts . If there was a workshop that could teach me , I took it . Soon , I was experimenting with many techniques and mediums such as encaustics , acrylic , and collage . Fast forward to today . I am working on many different surfaces using varied approaches . Often , I use non-traditional substrates like mannequin forms or I mix mediums , like fused glass and acrylic paint . Sometimes they work , and sometimes they don ’ t . The experimental process , no matter the outcome , inspires me . I am continually searching for that feeling of when a piece comes “ together ” and I feel it is perfect in my soul .
One of my current series is “ Femme Unique ,” in which I explore the diversity and beauty in every woman . Several mannequin forms , which are embellished with different art techniques , make up the series . For example , one mannequin is distressed blues with faux gold cracks and is meant to convey the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi , which refers to coaxing beauty out of unexpected places . I used gold to create beautiful cracks on the mannequin , inspired by the art of Kintsugi — repairing objects with gold . This shows that fortitude and wisdom come from scars and that we should not hide them . When I can meaningfully craft a visual language for these ideas , I feel hope and comfort .
Making art is more than a job . It extends to my mental health . The relationship between the two is clear as day . Before discovering art , I constantly struggled with feeling internally balanced ; everything was chaotic . Something needed to change . I ’ ve been making art since 2017 , but when I began to formally build up and sell my work , I felt a shift . Art helped me remain mindful and intentional . Daily it calms me at manic times and gives me hope when depression hovers . It also provides an overarching sense of life purpose . I ’ m happiest when I am immersed in this amazing , unregulated artistic sphere inside my head .
Since the beginning , my art practice has been intrinsically linked to mental health . I live a normal life , in part , because of the grounding role art plays in it . I wake up motivated to learn more about my craft and manage my health every day . My brain is so active when I ’ m alone in my studio ; no artistic path is a wrong path to go down . I can ’ t wait to see where my art practice takes me in future years .
I say the following often , because it is so true to my life . “ I don ’ t create art . Art creates me .”
74 ART CHOWDER MAGAZINE