WHAT HAS INSPIRED ME TO PAINT

I was incarcerated. Months and months passed with me visiting the prison art room. I never had the opportunity to try art.
I observed an inmate in a federal correctional center, painting a picture and told him to put something behind the painting stand out more. I was asked by the inmate, “Have you ever painted before?” I said no, have never painted before. I could not explain how or what would make the painting stand out more. After answering the inmate with having never painting before, he did not welcome any of my suggestions. He considered me as a person who could not make any suggestions to improve his art because I did not know how to explain it to him after having never painted.
Eventually, I was privileged with a furlough to transfer from a low security federal prison in Beaumont, Texas to a low-security camp in Texarkana, Texas. This provided me the opportunity to visit another prison art room to get in it. I met an inmate in the hobby craft room who was leaving out of the hobby craft room to go home. He sold his art supplies to me for $20.00, but I gave him $40.00 instead. This was done as a Commissary transaction. He also gave me a painting of Muhammed Ali which he could not finish and looked worthless. Not knowing how to arrange colors, I dibbled and dabbled with the painting while asking God to show me the true art with each passing day, show me how to blend the colors with the correct texture. The very next day, I was able to match the colors with different limited colors-match tones. Each day, I learned more and more about colors as well as three-dimensional painting.
God has played a significant role in my life with Artwork. It was a God-given talent and gift. I have never attended a professional and/or talent school. I have shared my art with strangers-a kid and other people other people who lost loved-ones. At the time of the deaths of their loved ones, I would send them my art work as a condolence to their deceased loved-ones. While incarcerated, I did paintings for Texarkana Federal Prison which are still standing today.
It was a story in the local newspaper about a young girl who lost a leg. She was very active in sports, a cheerleader. She was a great inspiration to me. She would tell young aspiring kids that they could be and do whatever they wanted to. This really inspired me. In fact, I sent her a painting. I was not looking for monetary value, rather I sent it with the thought that these are some of the rewards God gives us as humans when we are compassionate to other’s-something to share with others.
In all of the art work that I have done, and I try to do, the most complicated art pictures-however, they seem to come out right and not as complicated a they look. Sometimes I look at a canvass and although there is nothing there, I envision images which are a gift from God-I take my pencil and trace over it and it turns into something beautiful. But I know this is a gift from God to provide me with the vision and direction of pencil and brushstrokes.
Incarceration was the best thing which happened to me to bring out my true God-given talent. My Grandmother always knew I had the talent but I did not know.
Between God and my Grandmother who always encouraged me to pick up the pencil, I can safely say that Our Creator and my Grandmother-as well as my love of colors is what has inspired me to paint.
In 2005, my first picture was painted and I am 69 years old today. Sometimes being incarcerated can bring out the best in people. Not taking incarceration as a negative and I have taken it as a positive is what I have done.
BY: John Lloyd

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