Art Therapy Student Portfolio
WELCOME
Final Student Art Portfolio & Presentation
West Liberty University | MA Art Therapy & Counseling
Artist Statement
My name is Angela Hawkins
As an aspiring art therapist, my goal is to help others reconnect with their inner selves through creativity. I’m passionate about supporting women, children, and trauma survivors who are struggling with anxiety, depression, or grief. I believe art creates a bridge between emotion and healing—it allows people to tell their stories without judgment.
My background in psychology and my lived experiences as an African American woman shape the way I hold space for others, combining empathy, cultural awareness, and artistic exploration.
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I hope to work in community-based mental health programs, schools, and women’s centers—spaces where art can bring comfort, clarity, and empowerment.
SELF PORTRAIT COLLAGE
Oil, Portrait
This self-portrait brings together the different influences that shape my identity. The symbols on my body reflect family, love, healing, and spiritual grounding, while the mixed environments behind me show the landscapes that have carried me through change, time, and growth. It is a visual expression of resilience, self-awareness, and the layers of my lived experience.
Dancing
Oil & Acrylic
Created as part of a Movement and Gesture Painting assignment, this piece captures the energy of bodies in motion. Using simple, colorful figures and bold sweeping strokes, the painting reflects rhythm, spontaneity, and emotional flow. The glowing center represents the shared space where connection and joy come alive, while the darker edges highlight how movement can create light even in heavy moments.
Lost in the Weeds
Pastel & Charcoal
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Created for a reflection on my journey as a graduate student, this piece captures the feeling of moving through uncertainty. The lone figure drifts through a tangle of shadows and soft color, symbolizing those moments when school feels overwhelming and the path ahead is hard to see. The grid hints at structure and expectations, while the hazy tunnel suggests searching, growing, and finding my way. Even in the thick of it, the figure keeps going — a quiet reminder that clarity often comes from walking through the weeds, not around them.
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Destruction
Cut Paper, Collage
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Created for a directive focused on destruction and renewal, this piece began with cutting paper into sharp, unpredictable shapes. The red and yellow fragments scatter across a dark background, symbolizing moments that feel broken, chaotic, or torn apart. By arranging these pieces into a new visual rhythm, the collage reflects the idea that even in disruption, there is the possibility of order, meaning, and transformation. It is a reminder that what is destroyed can also be reshaped into something stronger.
Apple Picking Drawing
Markers
This playful marker drawing captures the simple joy of reaching for something sweet. The figure stretches toward bright red apples, symbolizing growth, hope, and the small victories we gather along the way. The bold colors, wide sky, and childlike style reflect a moment of freedom and delight — a reminder that even simple acts can feel meaningful and full of life.
Color Bloom
Oil & Acrylic
This painting grew from a simple desire to play with color without needing a subject or a plan. Flowing ribbons of paint burst from the center like energy in motion, creating a sense of movement, warmth, and release. It is an intuitive piece — a moment of letting color lead the way and allowing creativity to unfold just for the joy of it.
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Woman in Yellow
Acrylic On Canvas
Painted in a moment of pure creative flow, this piece captures a woman stepping into light with grace and quiet strength. Her yellow fabric trails behind her like sunlight, blending movement, softness, and power. Surrounded by swirling blues, she feels both grounded and rising — a symbol of freedom, becoming, and standing fully in one’s beauty. This is one of my most intentional and cherished works, created simply for the joy of painting and the peace it brings.
Gathering in the Green
Acrylic
Set beneath a glowing canopy of bright greens, these silhouetted women appear calm, grounded, and beautifully at home in their environment. Their white dresses, dotted with gold, stand out like soft light against the deep forest tones. One sits in quiet rest while the other carries a woven basket with ease, reflecting strength, grace, and the everyday rituals of womanhood. The vivid greens and flowing foliage give the painting a sense of life and sanctuary, a place where beauty, culture, and nature meet.
The Barrier
Dialectical Expression Assignment
Created for an assignment exploring opposites in dialogue, this piece shows the tension between the giver of love and the receiver. The warm side glows with red and yellow as one figure reaches out with an open heart, while the cool blues on the other side reflect distance, protection, or hesitation. Between them stands a dark, jagged barrier — symbolizing past trauma, unspoken conflict, fear, or anything that keeps connection from flowing freely. The image captures the push and pull of wanting closeness while struggling with the walls we carry.
Therapeutic Balance
Color Representation Assignment
In this piece, magenta represents me as the therapist, while blue represents the client. On the left side, the sweeping waves of magenta show a time when I leaned too heavily into my own influence — giving, guiding, and taking up more space than I intended. The right side shifts into lighter blues, symbolizing the client stepping forward, claiming autonomy, and shaping their own path. The strand of intertwined colors running down the center reflects the shared work of the therapeutic relationship — connected, evolving, and ultimately balanced.
Rupture
This abstract piece captures the raw energy of things coming apart. Bold strokes of red, orange, and gold clash against darker shapes, echoing the heat, tension, and movement of breaking open. “Rupture” reflects not just destruction, but the powerful moment when old forms fall away, making room for something new to emerge.
Gouache
Inner Light
Chalk Pastel,
Body Map / Inner Energy Assignment
Created for an assignment exploring the body’s emotional landscape, this piece uses soft chalk pastels to show a figure glowing from within. Warm reds and oranges surround a bright yellow heart, symbolizing warmth, love, and the energy carried at the center of the self. The blurred edges and gentle blending reflect how emotions radiate outward, touching every part of who we are. “Inner Light” captures the quiet power of recognizing one’s own heart space.
Lava above the Land
Photo, Angela Hawkins -2025
This photo was taken at dawn facing the White Plains Golf course. BREATHTAKING!