Michael “Blue” Jones
President of the Hendricks County Arts Collective
Alcohol Ink
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Blue is an Army Veteran and Indianapolis-based artist who discovered his art through pain therapy at the VA Hospital. There, recreational therapists provide art workshops for veterans in the pain clinic as an outlet for pain management. He quickly found a deep connection to art and found places in his neighborhood to grow his artistic practice on his own. Formerly a Curator and Operations Director with The Marilyn Rose Center, WALA on Main, and Marketplace on Main, he now sells his work in exhibitions and supports other Veteran artists through community arts workshops at the Integrated Pain Clinic. He was recently appointed President of the Hendricks County Arts Collective and encourages you to look westward and follow the growing local art scene.
“I discovered something that is changing my life: alcohol inks on ceramic, stone, and glass tiles. I started this painting journey in a creative arts group at the VA Hospital. I have chronic pain in my legs resulting from a spinal fusion surgery. It is manageable with medication, but even still, it is always present. The idea behind the art therapy is to teach my brain to think differently about my pain, to accentuate the positive pleasure sensors, and allow me to focus outside of the pain.”
