Courtney Lapenta became interested in painting during break periods while at college. As a dance performance major, she had little spare time to pursue other hobbies. “It was relieving to create through a new medium. I often oscillated between photorealistic pencil portrait drawings and experimental abstract paintings,” she recalls. “My interest in painting coincided with what I would call a spiritual awakening and realizations of the subconscious mind.”
Courtney used improvisational dance as a tool for emotional regulation and personal growth. Dancing alone and without a public eye allowed her to freely experiment with new boundaries of emotions and express a physical story of hardships, accomplishments. and hope. But that changed in 2019.
“Between the months of September 2019 and June 2020, I lost my dad, COVID hit the US, the dance community turned virtual and I badly sprained my ankle. Grief and normalcy was complex and ever persistent. My usual method for processing was compromised. And so, I fell into painting,” she shares.
Abstract painting gave Courtney room to explore the depths of her grief. “As I painted, I captured my thoughts and emotions around my dad’s last moments, death itself, and the chaos that loss brings emotionally. Creating lasting images also felt relieving in contrast to ephemeral dance.”
Courtney’s creative talent has not only been instrumental with processing her own grief, it has also served to unite communities. She has painted murals for schools in Washington, DC, which has shown her how art drives people to connect and support one another. “During one of my favorite projects at Whittier Elementary, I saw how the mural lit up the kids with joy and curiosity and built new positive memories among the students, staff and parents,” she recalls. “The mural’s impact extended to every person that walked or drove by the school, especially alumni who stopped to tell me how meaningful it was to see Whittier grow with this mural.I felt a bit sad when the project ended as I left the community and the magic art creates, but I know the mural is doing its job and will continue to grow into an impactful landmark families and students to convene and build beautiful memories.”
Inspired by natural beauty, other artists, and big philosophical questions, Courtney’s creative process starts with a blank slate and a general idea. “Once I find the confidence to start, an outline gets made. At some point, I hit a critical wall that requires adopting a new perspective,” she shares. “I then have to research and take the risk of doing something different to produce the result that is needed. From there, it is smooth sailing! I know when a piece is finished based on a gut feeling. I’ve learned how to discern this over the years and minimize perfectionist fixation.”
Courtney is currently working on a reflective series of some of her favorite moments in time in natural landscapes. “Be on the lookout for some natural beauty and magical stories!”
See more of Courtney’s work at courtneylapenta.com/visualart.
