"Siren - Skydance MacMahon

The artist is currently incarcerated in Virginia. He specializes in black & white fantasy doodles.

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.

6" x 6" | Pencil

“First things first…yes ‘Skydance’ is really my name. The name I was born with. It is a common question, and in many ways, shows, in that simple answer, that creativity was something fostered by my family throughout my life. My earliest memories of art are magical. That a person could create something so amazing seemed almost unbelievable. That feeling of wonder fueled the flames of my own passion to create artwork of my own. In many respects, and like so many others, my childhood was troubled and often painful…and creating art gave me an escape from it all. My art became my refuge. In art, I found peace when the turbulent storms of my life would threaten to overwhelm me. In art, I found a medium to express myself, crafting my inner joys or sorrows as no words ever could. In art, I could let out my passions or rage and I knew art would understand. In art, I could tell a woman how beautiful and magical she was, and how she inspired my heart when I could create an image just for her. In my recent past, I broke down emotionally, and in that time, I lost my art. I made terrible choices, made mistakes, and hurt people I loved. Filled now with regret and remorse, I’m trying to move forward again, and in doing so, I have found my art again. Art is helping me heal; not just my own suffering, but hopefully suffering I caused. Art is helping me to hope again. To hope there is a life worth living again on the other side of all of this. In finding my art again, I feel as though art has forgiven my wrongs and accepted me again. That same hope of forgiveness and acceptance I can only pray to find from others outside of these walls. In that way, art is my redemption.”.