"Nature lunacy"

The artist is currently incarcerated in Colorado. He specializes in large acrylic painting. He has not sent an art piece smaller than 16 x 20!

All original artworks are created by artists previously or currently incarcerated. They use whichever materials they have access to, and prove creative ingenuity beyond the norm. These original paintings and drawings are born in the heart of a prison cell, from the hands of an outsider artist to adorn the walls of your space. Each art piece is a one-of-a-kind that not only enhances your interior but also makes you actively participate in reforming the prison and criminal justice system.

The incarcerated artist receives 50% of the sales proceeds. The artists set their own prices based on the costs of materials (it can vary greatly from one facility to another), the time spent on the piece, their experience, and simply - what they think it’s worth. Alongside with offering a financial outlet, we aim to empower their confidence and reinstitute their status as human beings - not a number behind bars. For most, art is an escape, a path to self-discovery and healing. Through art, they can reconnect with society so the gap is not so unbridgeable when they get out. Through the sales, they can stay connected with their families, afford daily commissary items, pay societal debts, relieve the economic burden on their loved ones, and save up for the release date. So they have the financial means to get ahead of reinsertion and get a fair chance at that second chance.

18" x 24" | Acrylic on canvas

Mario is serving a life sentence for first degree murder, an act for which he caries profound guilt and shame. “Every day I wake up I realize that there is one less person on this earth because of my callous actions and that I am also responsible for having caused hundreds of people trauma due to that senseless act. But most importantly I devasted the family of my victims leaving them scared traumatized for the rest of their lives, was well as dishonoring my own family especially my daughter.” Mario as serve thus far 16 years of is life sentence and in the last 12 years he has tirelessly worked to become the man he is today. “I strive every day to live the rest of my life without violence and to live with the purpose to help others live a better life in and when they get out of prison. I will live in honor of the life that I took.” Mario is a Mental Health Peer Assistant at Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility, his duties as such include helping other men who suffer from many forms of mental illness such as Schizophrenia, major depression, bi-polar disorder and anxiety disorder. Mario has been artistic his whole life and is adept in many different mediums including: Graphite pencil, pen, color pencil, markers, acrylic paint, paper mache sculpting , cake decorating, pumpkin and wood carving. .

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