Daily Inspiration: Meet Evelyn Neal

Today we’d like to introduce you to Evelyn Neal.

Hi Evelyn, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
As a 22-year-old African American woman living in a world where my skin color already puts me in a category of failure and fear, being an Artist saved my life. I have endured racism, depression, physical & sexual abuse that have all left a mark either on my mind or on my skin telling my story of a survivor.

Art itself shaped and molded my peace and all my surroundings of beauty within the world. I was never big on art itself in fact I wouldn’t dare touch a pencil or a marker and draw. It wasn’t till I found myself near death that the only way for me to express what I was going through was to draw.

Each line work in a newly fresh opened sketchbook is expressed by my pain of many triumphs. I’ve allowed my work to not only advocate for myself but speak through me. Art has allowed me to adapt relationships with other children within the Kansas City Missouri community which is so diverse and feared upon. Working with families and kids through art has allowed me to witness the growth of them reclaiming their power back.

Art was and is a saving grace in my life and I believe I can help in a lot of people’s lives, whether it’s painting, photography, sculpting, etc. Art has the power to speak for those who have been silenced for so long. Art is the key to those survivors. Growing up and developing my artistic skills here in Kansas City has been a big opportunity. Each piece that I work on reflects a moment in my life that was either traumatic or life-changing and the only way to remember was to create a work of art and allow that piece to speak for me.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It truly hasn’t been a smooth road, there are times when I find myself wanting to give up and sinking back into depression but then I remember to breathe and just draw. Close your eyes pray and just draw. Allow all that’s been bundled up to come out and no longer damper your spirit.

A few other struggles were allowing people in. The moment I get one source of negative feedback I feel almost distraught like I’m not good enough, it’s hard because growing up I had my amazing support system of my mom and grandma and my community tribe boosting my motivation and giving me guidance whereas I had my supposedly “father” (at the time) giving me harsh feedback and that was being pounded in my head more than ever.

So I was ready it was almost like I was looking for the negatives more than I was ready to accept the positives

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My form of art is drawing with an ink pen, a technique that is requiring a crisscross of linework over and over again. I was never big into drawing or art until I was on edge of near death. I decided to take back control of my life instead of allowing depression to take hold of me. I don’t use high-quality pens, not because I can’t afford them but because I find value in the material that most artists find no useful. Therefore I get my pens from the five below.

The material I use is of course five below pens, a pencil, an eraser, and a beautiful clean yet elegant black sketchbook. What drives my motivation to work on new pieces Is the feeling of making others smile. I do a lot of commissions of family portraits, loved ones that have passed, family animals, or even celebrities, and each one of those left an imprint in others’ hearts of feeling loved and remembered.

I recently did a tribute for the 13 fallen soldiers in Afghan and drawing each one of the soldiers in 24 hours gave me peace and pain and determination to finish but to present to the families that their loved one will not be forgotten! I’ve also been featured on the news regarding the tributes to black icons for black history month.

My pieces were showcased at Blendwell Cafe in independence apart from the Community Service League Black Excellence exhibit.

We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My favorite childhood memory would have to be every Sunday or Friday on the way home my mom would turn on 88.5 and on that radio station we would fall asleep in the car and drive around listening to “Adventure’s an Odyssey”.

Falling asleep and listening to the different children’s stories always brought us together because we were so captivated and amazed at how even though it wasn’t a tv show we could picture the characters coming to life.

Pricing:

• The size for an 8×10 portrait is $60
• The size for an 11×14 portrait is $100
• The size for a 16×20 portrait is $150
• The size for a 24×20 portrait is $200
• Anything larger than a 24×20 portrait is $300+

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/its.evelynneal/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Evelynforever101/