"The visit" - William Sean Coney

The artist is currently incarcerated in Colorado. He specializes in animals related , still life paintings.

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.

9" x 12" | Watercolors on watercolor paper

My painting began to convey what words could not. I remember a badly abused stainless steel table, it displayed six cups of syrupy, separated color and a handmade brush. A killer and a cat burglar consult me on the anatomy of Pikachu, the shot caller of the Pokemons. My pigments are stripped from M&M’s, so the experts take payment in soggy chocolate covered tailings. I became an artist that day. Pikachu was the most important piece I ever rendered. The critics were my life, my universe, my everything. Sofia was still in pull-ups, so Dylan, only 18 months older, spoke for them. He delivered a pragmatic request on the precipice of tears. The children are reaching for me. Their tiny obstructed hand prints lie side by side on a window slightly larger than an envelope on end. While looking back at them I was looking at life. My last microgram of strength is summoned to exemplify composure, and accept the commission. I learned that day how art could say more than words, especially to preschoolers. My critics also schooled me on the finer points of mixing my time and treasure with color and love to make it all worth more than I realize. I try to keep the same formula in my composition today. I have recently begun juxtaposing juvenile animals with life’s lessons. I hope to compile a children’s book that reveals what I’ve learned from my critics and my mistakes. The work I created for the “Redemption Art” show is about intergenerational institutionalism as an affront to nature. Thank you for listening to what I paint..

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