Jon Clingenpeel never thought he would become an artist, but then 2020 happened. While the whole world was in lockdown, he and his wife found a way to help with his mental health issues. They took online drawing classes.
Working in law enforcement and dealing with his wife’s health issues, Clingenpeel suffered from anxiety all the time. Although he loved art since he was a kid, he never thought of trying it himself. At first, he took some online classes to get the basics. He was using a pencil but then discovered charcoal, and then the obsession began.
“I think it’s the ability to move the charcoal to how I want it by using my fingers or a brush. So now my medium of choice is charcoal and chalk and the occasional use of pastel pencils,” he said in a statement. He also added that he loves doing pet portraits and depicting his current mental health situation.
“My main focus now is drawings of mental health whether it is dealing with anxiety, depression, anger, eating disorders or drawing pictures of people’s animals.”
You can find some of his work in the gallery below or on Instagram under the Jonathan Ryan Art nickname.
