Acrylic anger
December 3, 2009
“I have been drawing and painting since as far back as I can remember. In almost every childhood picture of me I have a pacifier in my mouth and a crayon in my hand. Art class was my refuge in high school.
I drew or painted almost every day until my first year of college. I don’t know how it happened, but I got it into my head that I was a big fraud. I had a sinking feeling that I somehow wasn’t a real artist, and it was only a matter of time before everyone else figured it out. I didn’t make art for years.
Then one day not too long ago, something happened that made me angry. And not just regular angry – burning with the fire of a thousand suns angry. I stormed into my apartment and had the thought that I was either going to light the place on fire or find a way to channel my energy elsewhere. After briefly considering what prison would be like, I chose the latter. Without thinking I grabbed my paint brushes and this picture just fell out of me onto the canvas. Talk about therapy!
Making this painting reignited my inspiration. Lately I can’t seem to stop, and my tiny little apartment is losing walking space every week as I get canvas after canvas. These days I am much less angry.”
-Story and art by Rachel Rolseth in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
