Poems From Home
Attack Bear Press is hosting a 2020 ekphrastic poetry project. Each week we will post an image from an artist along with their information on our social media pages. We invite anyone to sit with that image and create a poem inspired in any way by it or the impressions that the image gives to the writer.
Each week the Attack Bears will choose one submission to highlight online.
By submitting this form you agree to the following guidelines. Sending in your poetry does not guarantee that your poem will appear on our social media. Multiple submissions are encouraged, but please only one poem per form submission.
Untitled by Isabella Gitana
Isabella Gitana is a queer, fat, bruja feminista, artist, & xingona warrior, & survivor. They are a non-binary femme mama and founder of Survivor Arts Collective. (they/her)
Instagram: @xingonafemme
“Weirdo Friends Til the End”, Kellsey Mull
Where do Unicorns come from? Well, they actually are grown inside of cute little perfume bottles so their little horns don't stab their mommy's belly from the inside. It's a scientific fact.
My name is Kellsey Mull and I grew up in a small town in eastern Connecticut. I doodled just like every other kid, but I never ever stopped. I always found ways to be creative and express myself through dance, art, fashion and music. When I was young, these were all just things I did for fun. It wasn't until I took my first college-level art class that I really began to take my creativity seriously.
Almost thirteen years later, here I am and art has become my life and I couldn't be happier!
I started my apprenticeship under Tim Senecal in the fall of 2015 and have been tattooing full time for about four years. I love tattooing cute animals, cute pinup babes, cute monsters, cute treats...anything that makes people smile. I am a huge fan of bright bold colors and super goofy ideas!
Besides tattooing I also love to work with acrylic paints and colored pencils.
Thank you for checking out my website and my work. I hope your day is filled with all of the magic and glitter imaginable! <3
Instagram: @unicornglitterblaster
Store: www.unicornglitterblaster.bigcartel.com/
Weirdo Friends Til the End”, Kellsey Mull
“Blue Trauma” by Justin Beatty
Justin Beatty. Digital Artist
“Having the opportunity to share my way of seeing the world is an honor and blessing for me. Creativity and expression have always been important factors in my life. My hope is that this endeavor will inspire others to share their thoughts, desires, and understanding as well. Born in 1972, I grew up in Roosevelt, NY where I was given the opportunity to experience art in many forms. From a young age my parents, John & Cheryl, often took me into Manhattan and Brooklyn to visit museums, art exhibits, and cultural events which sparked my interest in art, music, and culture. My mother also took me to powwows in order to introduce me to the indigenous side of my heritage.
In the 1980s I fell in love with graffiti and became interested in graphic design. I began developing my personal style by filling up any, and all, art pads and sketchbooks I could acquire. In the late 80s, I began using my graffiti skills as a small commercial venture. I drew and painted custom designs and characters on clothes (as was the style at the time) and became well-known locally for the quality of my work.
In the 1990s I attended the University of Massachusetts-Amherst where I studied under the tutelage of Professor Dorrance Hill, who helped me develop my skills and sense of style even further. He taught me how to expand my repertoire to include clay, plaster, and metalworking. It was during my time at UMass-Amherst I was commissioned through the Josephine White Eagle Cultural Center, to do two murals for the Native American students' floor in the Chadbourne dormitory where I can proudly say they still hang today. After leaving university, I began to do artwork on a more private and personal level for people by designing tattoos, logos, and creating designs for family and friends' regalia. I recently began my foray into creating digital artwork which I find both fulfilling and exciting, as I learn more and more about stretching the boundaries of my talent and imagination. Founded in 2015 by visual artist Justin Beatty, J. Beatty Digital Visuals provides a variety of bold and often breathtaking artwork for a myriad of settings. Whether you're looking for a centerpiece to showcase in your living room, something to add a little style to the office, or a gift for someone in your life, J. Beatty Digital Visuals offers an extensive collection of digital artwork that has been known to inspire and move people with its expressive nature.”
“Color Blind” by artist Nickolle Knowles.
Nikki was born and raised in Hartford, Connecticut. Proud single mother of 1 beautiful daughter. Art is my escape.
“Color Blind” by artist Nickolle Knowles
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“CTRL” from the creator of the #bailoutgallery Amira Brown.
Amira Brown is an interdisciplinary artist, who creates work about the nuances and subtleties of reality and life through the black, intersectional femme lens. Through working on an subconscious and instinctual level, they allow imagery, history and memory to bubble to the surface through various executions.
Instagram: @amirahb_art
Store: http://www.amirahb.art/m/
The “Others” by Chelvanaya Gabriel
CHELVANAYA GABRIEL
they/them; born in OR; resident of MA
My work is a reflection of empathic, ecological and metaphysical perspectives on the nature of humanity & consciousness, complexities of identity & power, and personal/generational trauma & resiliency.
A self-taught visual artist, I create acrylic-based mixed media works on paper, canvas and recycled wood, combining freeform experimentation with an intuitive sense of texture, color and form. Woven throughout are threads of my experiences as a scientist, healer, educator, writer, editor and community organizer.
“Flour Sack Animation” from Raymon Cooper
I am a 22-year-old college graduate from Westfield State University. I am a recent graduate from Westfield State University, with a bachelor’s in art & Illustration, Cum Laude. As an artist I practice mostly with traditional and digital art, etc. posting content on various social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter. While in quarantine I have put more time into creating illustrations for my various comic ideas; as well as gain a better understanding of handling digital tools and shortcuts. There have been drawbacks as on some days I lack the motivation to draw, a sort of depressed state of mind. The coronavirus has given me a lot to think about such as balancing art and times to release stress, but through and through I persist to maintain a steady mind as an independent artist. Despite quarantine, I have put my best into researching the possible jobs and opportunities for me as an artist. Most notable is that with spare time to draw I have been able to expand my style by exploring new mediums I was not confident to try out before. It has been a trial, but I keep going in hopes that I overcome the issues of today.