In my art practice, I confront the complex entanglement of life and death, and the ways in which our society has lost its connection to presence, especially in the wake of immense grief. Through my work, I offer an authentic voice for how art can serve as both a healing tool and a catalyst for community. I aim to alleviate the isolation and shame that often accompany our most vulnerable moments by creating space for honest expression. My hope is to foster environments where people feel safe to share their grief, and where strength and empathy are mirrored back through collective experience.
ARTIST BIO—
April Votolato, an abstract artist based in Seattle, Washington, resides with her husband, Rocky Votolato, and their French bulldog, Saint. April’s creative journey began when she was enrolled in an art therapy program for orphans as a child. Her natural talent for poetry and portraiture propelled her to pursue her artistic interests whenever possible, balancing her studies with the responsibilities of raising a family. During this period, she attended Gage Academy of Art and the Kirkland Art Center.
In 2019, April felt a sense of disconnection from her art practice in portraiture and alienated from what inspired her to create in the first place. As she entered the second half of life, she immersed herself in the study of abstract expressionism, captivated by the freedom of expansive brushstrokes and the spontaneous nature of mark-making, which diverged significantly from the techniques employed in portrait painting.
During this transformative period, April encountered her mentor and teacher, Virginia Paquette. Virginia challenged April to examine her preconceived notions of art as an expression of surface level beauty and embrace a deeper connection with her process that was self-reflective of her lived experiences. Ultimately, this journey would end up as a life saving practice after the tragic loss of her youngest child, Kienan at age 22 in a car accident. It took everything April had to not give into her anguish. She channeled her deep grief into an act of radical self-preservation and authenticity that helps her face her daily life of surviving the unimaginable. Votolato’s unique perspective on grief and art as a process of healing, combined with her natural mixed media aesthetic skill, seamlessly weaves shapes, mark-making, and written words to create captivating emotional connections between her artwork and viewers.
April’s paintings have been showcased at Studio 103 in Seattle, Washington, where she received the People’s Choice Award in 2023. Additionally, she was accepted into the Edmonds Art Festival Gallery in both 2023 and 2024, where she successfully sold all her artwork. Her talent extends beyond painting, as she has contributed cover art to several music albums and two poetry books.
