Featured Artists
Ezequiel
“My name is Ezequiel Gonzalez and I am 24 years old. I started painting four years ago. As an individual who entered the system as an illiterate 15-year-old, I enjoy learning anything, so painting became a special ‘anything’ that has changed my life. My teacher, S. Hunter, offered to teach me his skills and techniques through photorealism. Now, I pass down these skills and techniques to other inmates. This makes me a student and teacher of art.
“Most recently, however, I’ve taken an interest in modern art. ‘DePrived: Bars, edition 1’ and ‘Dynamite’ are my first paintings that stir away from photorealism. ‘DePrived: Bars, edition 1’ is a mixture of what I know, how I feel, and what I see. It is different and I like it. ‘Dynamite,’ however , is a completely different art piece. It is expressive abstract. I did it during a performance art session. I felt, I don’t know, a sense of relief.”
“My name is Ezequiel Gonzalez and I am 24 years old. I started painting four years ago. As an individual who entered the system as an illiterate 15-year-old, I enjoy learning anything, so painting became a special ‘anything’ that has changed my life. My teacher, S. Hunter, offered to teach me his skills and techniques through photorealism. Now, I pass down these skills and techniques to other inmates. This makes me a student and teacher of art.
“Most recently, however, I’ve taken an interest in modern art. ‘DePrived: Bars, edition 1’ and ‘Dynamite’ are my first paintings that stir away from photorealism. ‘DePrived: Bars, edition 1’ is a mixture of what I know, how I feel, and what I see. It is different and I like it. ‘Dynamite,’ however , is a completely different art piece. It is expressive abstract. I did it during a performance art session. I felt, I don’t know, a sense of relief.”
SHOWN HERE:
"DePrived: Bars, edition 1"
24"x18"
Acrylics & Oils
"DePrived: Bars, edition 1"
24"x18"
Acrylics & Oils
S. Hunter
“Learning how to paint and draw some 20 years ago literally changed my life. Having struggled with low self-esteem and no sense of self-worth, I could never find anything that provided me with a sense of value about myself. Creating beautiful paintings and drawings completely changed this. I now feel I have value. I belong, I am able to connect with others. I finally realized that I didn’t need drugs to be happy, I just needed a paint brush or a pencil.
“An even larger aspect of this transformation for me is teaching others to paint and draw. I get excited seeing them experience the same transformation and then teaching someone else. It’s my way of giving back everything I’ve got to offer. I’m giving something that no one can ever take away from them: The ability to express themselves through art and connect with others.”
“Learning how to paint and draw some 20 years ago literally changed my life. Having struggled with low self-esteem and no sense of self-worth, I could never find anything that provided me with a sense of value about myself. Creating beautiful paintings and drawings completely changed this. I now feel I have value. I belong, I am able to connect with others. I finally realized that I didn’t need drugs to be happy, I just needed a paint brush or a pencil.
“An even larger aspect of this transformation for me is teaching others to paint and draw. I get excited seeing them experience the same transformation and then teaching someone else. It’s my way of giving back everything I’ve got to offer. I’m giving something that no one can ever take away from them: The ability to express themselves through art and connect with others.”
SHOWN HERE:
"Quiet Serenity"
24"x18"
Acrylics & Oils
"Quiet Serenity"
24"x18"
Acrylics & Oils
Phillip Angel Senteno
Phillip served 40-plus years in prison. As an artist, he recognized that art allows for non-verbal communication, a necessary diversion in prison. In a man-made society of barbed wire, gun towers, and steel bars, the reality of freedom lost is ever present. Through his art, Phillip was able to maintain a semblance of human dignity and creative alternatives in daily survival.
Phillip continues to express himself through his art. In addition, after years of reflecting on the negative impact that crime and violence have had on family and community, he made a commitment to be an advocate of change. Phillip Angel Senteno is the Founder and Executive Director of Forward Progress, Inc., a nonprofit providing reentry services for those recently released from prison. Phillip continues to coordinate and form strategic alliances with a multitude of organizations to strengthen our humanitarian and community efforts – rebuilding the broken bonds between the formerly incarcerated with family and community.
Phillip served 40-plus years in prison. As an artist, he recognized that art allows for non-verbal communication, a necessary diversion in prison. In a man-made society of barbed wire, gun towers, and steel bars, the reality of freedom lost is ever present. Through his art, Phillip was able to maintain a semblance of human dignity and creative alternatives in daily survival.
Phillip continues to express himself through his art. In addition, after years of reflecting on the negative impact that crime and violence have had on family and community, he made a commitment to be an advocate of change. Phillip Angel Senteno is the Founder and Executive Director of Forward Progress, Inc., a nonprofit providing reentry services for those recently released from prison. Phillip continues to coordinate and form strategic alliances with a multitude of organizations to strengthen our humanitarian and community efforts – rebuilding the broken bonds between the formerly incarcerated with family and community.
SHOWN HERE:
"Athens"
Watercolor
"Athens"
Watercolor
"Harbor Mist"
Watercolor
Watercolor
Joe Luna
was in prison for more than 30 years. In solitary confinement, which did not allow art materials inside cells, the only materials he began with were pencil, pen filler, and five sheets of plain white paper once a week. Drawing became his haven, his escape, his form of relief. Yet Joe always wanted to put onto paper the colors he did not see in prison, the colors he missed and loved.
Once he was released from “the hole” into the general prison population, Joe used many other art materials. Color pencils, color pens, metallic pens, markers, Kool Aid, chalks, coffee, tea bags, floor wax, shoeshine wax, baby oil, little pieces of cut-out potato chip bags for glitter, and Skittles and M&Ms candies – whatever he could bring into his cell, he used. At times, these items were taken away during cell searches, and he would begin again. Today, Joe now does his art work with any color he wants, feeling blessed for every day of freedom and for his mother’s support.
was in prison for more than 30 years. In solitary confinement, which did not allow art materials inside cells, the only materials he began with were pencil, pen filler, and five sheets of plain white paper once a week. Drawing became his haven, his escape, his form of relief. Yet Joe always wanted to put onto paper the colors he did not see in prison, the colors he missed and loved.
Once he was released from “the hole” into the general prison population, Joe used many other art materials. Color pencils, color pens, metallic pens, markers, Kool Aid, chalks, coffee, tea bags, floor wax, shoeshine wax, baby oil, little pieces of cut-out potato chip bags for glitter, and Skittles and M&Ms candies – whatever he could bring into his cell, he used. At times, these items were taken away during cell searches, and he would begin again. Today, Joe now does his art work with any color he wants, feeling blessed for every day of freedom and for his mother’s support.
SHOWN HERE:
Mixed Media
Mixed Media
J. May
“My name is Jason May, I’m 35 years old and currently incarcerated. I did this
city scape because I liked the depth and colors of the village.”
“My name is Jason May, I’m 35 years old and currently incarcerated. I did this
city scape because I liked the depth and colors of the village.”
SHOWN HERE:
"Tuscany"
18"x24"
Acrylics & Oils
"Tuscany"
18"x24"
Acrylics & Oils
Charlie Rodriguez
“I have been painting for a couple of months now, and I have enjoyed the
experience and knowledge that other painters bring. I hope to learn more from
my teachers (Ezequiel Gonzalez and Stan Hunter) and become as good as them.
Being able to express myself through painting brings therapeutic wellness to my
mind, as well as the thought of what is to come.
“I am the artist of ‘Bridge to Freedom,’ which is the first painting I have ever done.
When I first started this painting, I felt I was never going to finish it because I did
not know how to paint, and I would get stuck in certain areas. Now that I’m done,
I look back at the struggles I went through while I was painting and see the
similarity it had to my life. I had to learn through my constant mistakes, and had
to figure out how to deal with them. Even though I felt I could continue fixing
things, I knew I had to move on because, just like life, painting is a learning
experience.”
“I have been painting for a couple of months now, and I have enjoyed the
experience and knowledge that other painters bring. I hope to learn more from
my teachers (Ezequiel Gonzalez and Stan Hunter) and become as good as them.
Being able to express myself through painting brings therapeutic wellness to my
mind, as well as the thought of what is to come.
“I am the artist of ‘Bridge to Freedom,’ which is the first painting I have ever done.
When I first started this painting, I felt I was never going to finish it because I did
not know how to paint, and I would get stuck in certain areas. Now that I’m done,
I look back at the struggles I went through while I was painting and see the
similarity it had to my life. I had to learn through my constant mistakes, and had
to figure out how to deal with them. Even though I felt I could continue fixing
things, I knew I had to move on because, just like life, painting is a learning
experience.”
SHOWN HERE:
"Bridge to Freedom"
24"x18"
Acrylics & Oils
"Bridge to Freedom"
24"x18"
Acrylics & Oils
