Hi. My name is Cassandra Donnelly, and my artistic ministry is called Creative Passages. I am a Christian artist and art therapist from Norfolk, VA.
My art seeks to glorify God and communicate His heart through the creative passages of the art mediums I use. Much of my artwork would be considered prophetic. My art is often bold, colorful, and dynamic as the Holy Spirit expresses himself through me.
I am an emerging, self-taught artist. I have been creating art since the age of four as away to bring healing to myself and because there was just a natural, creative drive in me. I was saved at the age of five, and I believe God gave me art as well as a strong, inner resiliency to enable me to survive extreme forms of abuse and still remain intact and hopeful. As I became an adult my art begin to express what I couldn't express in words, often what was repressed, and it became my desperate attempt to uncover and integrate those parts of myself. Although I was mostly self-taught, I did take some drawing and painting classes, as well as one sculpting class at the College of Charleston, and I also went to school to become an art therapist at EVMS where I learned about different artistic mediums, psychopathology, how art making can lead to healing, and how to facilitate this. I continued to create art prolifically because I was driven to create, but it wasn't until the past several years that I began to develop an on-line presence of my artistic abilities, and only this past year (tale end of 2013) that I began to do regular art shows.
I wish to touch others with the healing and loving presence of God through my art. Most of my art has a personal testimony behind it which describes what I was going through at the time and God's response to me to bring healing. God would often speak to me as I was in the middle of creating the art, or afterwards to give me the message, and sometimes beforehand in the form of a vision or idea that He wished to express to others, for instance maybe about His love, His real power, or His capacity and willingness to heal. Sometimes, my art was created just for the fun of creating or for the purpose of de-stressing.
My favorite medium to create with at this time is mixed media, although I dabble a bit into everything and love to learn and try new things. I primarily use watercolors, acrylics, acrylic mediums, collage, oil paints, oil pastels, and chalk pastels. Also, I love to scan and then digitally alter traditional art pieces for infinite possibilities as well as create digital art pieces from scratch. I use a Coral Painter program which I love. This year, I plan to experiment with adding digital elements to traditional art pieces. The possibilities are endless!
Currently, I am an art therapist at a psychiatric hospital where I have been working since the year 2000. I love my job! In my job I lead others to experience healing themselves by conducting art therapy groups. I work with all ages and a diversity of populations. This is so rewarding for me and seems to be a natural overflow of my own healing process from art-making.
I am so excited about all the new things God is doing in my life and excited to share my art and my story with you! I hope you will enjoy it.
God bless,
Cassandra Donnelly
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