Fund A Bipolar Art Exhibition

“Between Two Poles: A Bipolar Themed Art Exhibition”

A video  that explains my project.

My Art Web Site .

May 2nd, 2015  Show Date!
It has been set and confirmed by the Center.

Opening Reception:  February 4th 2016
Time:       5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Location:  The Shemer Art Center
5005 E. Camelback Road,  Phoenix, AZ 85018
( www.shemerartcenter.org)

The opening is free and open to the public.

The exhibition closes March 10th, 2016





Above is a painting that illustrates my idea of isolation.
It was created before I was diagonsed with Bipolar.


When I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder in 2013, it was as if someone had just died. It was both a surprise, and a relief when I realized I had a serious mental illness. The many problems I had experienced over the years made sense. However, knowledge did not stop the power of this crippling illness.

I tried to commit suicide.

That attempt lead to my first hospitalization. There were so many difficult ups and downs.

Pain and suffering turned into days and weeks of me laying on a sofa unable to do anything. I was falling into immobility. Every day I was suicidal. There were times I wanted to kill myself, but I was literally too exhausted to do it.

My life reached a new kind of low when I started cutting myself. I wanted to see if I could endure the pain of slitting my wrists.



The scars created by the knife fascinated me. I kept cutting. Briefly, they gave me a release. The scars were expressing the intense pain I had no other way to express. The escape those marks offered was short lived, very short lived.

The descent briefly let up. Bipolar can offer you a few days of mania that can jump start your motivation. I was slow moving and tired, but I was able to find a new Psychiatrist and a new therapist in November of 2014.

Now it is February of 2015, and I am starting to put the pieces back together. The current combination of medications and therapy seem to be working. I still have bad moments. But, the addictive cutting has ceased.

I can paint. I finished a work in January, and about to complete one this month and I know I am create more innovative pieces.




Above is "Cutter."   This is a painting about cutting and bipolar disorder.  It was completed April 2015.

Cutter , this link more information about the creation fo this painting and a video.

The only problem is that I do need funds. Between not being able to work or even find work in my state, I have fallen  way behind with bills.

This is why I am asking for support for my solo exhibition of new art “Between Two Poles, A Bipolar Themed Exhibition.”

Before I became seriously ill in late 2014, I had created a proposal for an exhibition that talks about bipolar disorder from the perspective of an artist. The works would be centered around the idea of expressing the euphoric ups and the damaging downs of Bipolar.

After looking over my recent creations I began reading Dr. Key Redfield Jamison’s book “Touched with Fire: Manic-Depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament.” I started to see strong connections between Bipolar and creativity.

What I have experienced is that Bipolar can literally send you a million and one ideas at once. It can create wild associations between ideas and visuals. It provides the “fire” that sparks the imagination.
The list of artists who have suffered from mental illness, depression and bipolar, is extensive. The artistic temperament is a live wire that ignites everything it its path.

For me, my artistic temperament was fueled by yet another diagnoses, Borderline Personality Disorder.
Amid all of the anguish and chaos, my proposal for a Bipolar Exhibition was approved by the prestigious Shemer Art Center in Phoenix, Arizona. If all goes well, I will have a show there opening June 25th to August 6th of this year.


"Cactus,"   This was one of the pieces that was included in my proposal for my solo exhibition at the Shemer.  It was also shown a the Herberger Theater in Phoenix.


The show is really the one thing that has kept me going. Knowing that my identity as an artist is intact and that my work and ideas are taken seriously by a well-respected art institution in Phoenix Arizona is confirmation at a very good time.

I believe my recovery, which is permitting me time to create this document, is in large part the result of this upcoming exhibition. Advance response to the new pieces has been overwhelmingly positive. The content and imagery in the new work is different from anything I have done.

A positive sign of my own “renaissance” is that I will have work at a new art center opening this March. The Director invited me to participate. I am very thrilled about this. It will be my first showing of 2015.


"Embrace," a painting inspired by the work of Egon Schiele has been selected for exhibition at the new Luna Cultural Center in Phoenix for A March opening.



a March opening.  This month I also completed a small commission. It was small. But at least it was something. I am grateful for small things. Bad times make you appreciative.
Sadly, I had tried to apply for a grant.

What I need, desperately need, are funds to purchase paints, frames, canvas and the like to continue. Funds are literally spent. I mean zero. So anything you can throw my way will help make this possible.

Whatever you can do, a few dollars, or just spreading the word helps. I would love to see my web site go viral. Links to my web page, looking me up on twitter and facebook, my web site has the links, all of this counts. I would like to go viral.

Awareness is increasing. This is good. Alleviating stigma however is still a problem. It prevents people from seeking treatment or even knowing what to look for with regards to mental health.

Bipolar can do a lot of damage, a lot. But there is hope.

Thank you for reading this document seeking support for what I know will be a unique exhibition. Help me make it happen.