Jerome Lawrence, Artist
Majoring in Studio Art at Georgia State University and after a series of troubling events, I received a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia. Schizophrenia belongs to a group of mental disorders characterized by withdrawal from reality, illogical patterns of thinking, delusions, and hallucinations, and accompanied in varying degrees by other emotional, behavioral, or intellectual disturbances. My life did not end; I continued to paint as I had all my life studying privately for several years with Joseph Perrin, a world renowned artist and head emeritus of GSU. And years later, with a diagnosis change to schizoaffective-exhibiting symptoms of both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, I find myself giving a solo art exhibit to an audience that included Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn. Mrs. Carter has since purchased a piece of my art to hang in the offices of the Carter Center in Atlanta, Georgia and my art donations to the Center have brought as much as 6,500.00 for a single painting at auction. Iâve started a business creating and selling art and am proud to reside in a Habitat for Humanity house built for me with an arts studio by Habitat volunteers, mental health advocates, consumers of mental health services and church parishioners. I am proud to say that Rosalynn Carter physically laid the corner stone to my house! I hope that people will feel joy from my expressions. Viewing the work and hearing my story will hopefully inspire others to be diligent in their desire to recover from illness as well as patient with themselves and others because it is not likely to happen overnight. âExpressions of the Journeyâ and âMy Art, My Illnessâ are pieces that I wrote to explain how my art and illness have evolved together over the years.
Articles by this Author
Blogs by this Author
Copyright
2012
Let's Get Together, Inc.
. All rights reserved.
Implemented by E-Man Computer Services
Jerome Lawrence, Artist
Majoring in Studio Art at Georgia State University and after a series of troubling events, I received a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia. Schizophrenia belongs to a group of mental disorders characterized by withdrawal from reality, illogical patterns of thinking, delusions, and hallucinations, and accompanied in varying degrees by other emotional, behavioral, or intellectual disturbances. My life did not end; I continued to paint as I had all my life studying privately for several years with Joseph Perrin, a world renowned artist and head emeritus of GSU. And years later, with a diagnosis change to schizoaffective-exhibiting symptoms of both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, I find myself giving a solo art exhibit to an audience that included Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn. Mrs. Carter has since purchased a piece of my art to hang in the offices of the Carter Center in Atlanta, Georgia and my art donations to the Center have brought as much as 6,500.00 for a single painting at auction. Iâve started a business creating and selling art and am proud to reside in a Habitat for Humanity house built for me with an arts studio by Habitat volunteers, mental health advocates, consumers of mental health services and church parishioners. I am proud to say that Rosalynn Carter physically laid the corner stone to my house! I hope that people will feel joy from my expressions. Viewing the work and hearing my story will hopefully inspire others to be diligent in their desire to recover from illness as well as patient with themselves and others because it is not likely to happen overnight. âExpressions of the Journeyâ and âMy Art, My Illnessâ are pieces that I wrote to explain how my art and illness have evolved together over the years.