Local artist overcomes past through art

Strokes of bright blue and red watercolors paint the story of Bloomington artist Layla Caplinger’s life. They show her past, her struggles, her journey to artistic freedom. And now, they’ve won her a spot as the featured artist in the Rhythms of the Soul exhibit, now at Bellevue Art Gallery. \nThe exhibit is a loose representation of letting go, freeing spirits and cleansing the soul, said Johnnie Belinda, board member of the Bellevue Art Gallery, housed in the lobby of the Bloomington Playwrights Project.\nFor Caplinger, it was a chance to artistically portray her life after a car accident left her with uncontrollable seizures.\nCaplinger said she painted the portraits as a way of reflecting on how she dealt with her injury. Without art, she said, she never would’ve made it through the last couple of years.\n“I can put my feelings into this art,” she said. “Painting is a whole new world.”\nThe Aug. 17 opening reception brought a group of local artists to discuss Caplinger’s artwork. Despite the emotional background of her portraits, Caplinger welcomed questions throughout the night. Explaining to other artists the experiences that led her to where she is, Caplinger never forgot to mention the importance art played in her recovery.\nBloomington artist Joanne Shank, a gallery member, said she enjoyed viewing Caplinger’s artwork in the gallery. Piecing together Caplinger’s accident, Shank said it was nice to see all of Caplinger’s portraits as a whole.\nThe exhibit will be on display at the gallery, 107 W. Ninth St., until Sept. 28.\nBelinda said the shows usually last for two months and involve different styles of art. The next exhibit, Memoirs, will begin Oct. 5 on The Gallery Walk downtown and feature a different artist. \nCaplinger, who recently became a member of the gallery, is currently in the process of writing a book that focuses on art and visual writing. For her, writing, like her art, is created best when she allows her thoughts to flow without hesitation. She said art is more than a hobby, it’s therapy.\n“It’s just something I have to do, like breathing,” she said. “(It’s) not something I think about, just something I do.”