Missouri inmate uses time for artwork

By RAY SCHERER
St. Joseph News-Press

CAMERON, Mo. (AP) — Lee Aquil has discovered that his artistry may be the ticket to the good life, once he leaves a cell at the Western Missouri Correctional Center.

Aquil — who has been incarcerated in the state prison system for more than 22 years — began developing into an artist not long after he began serving a sentence for sodomy and second-degree deviate sexual assault convictions.

The Kansas City man found that his penchant for drawing and painting portraits and murals was a satisfying outlet for time spent as punishment for his crimes.

“When I first got locked up, I didn’t have a clue” how to draw and paint, Aquil said. “Everybody would laugh at me and made fun of me.”

The reactions from fellow inmates are different now, however. In fact, he’s already gained a bit of status, thanks to the Andrew County Senior Center on the square in Savannah.

There, officials have chosen to hang a large mural on one wall. The piece, dubbed “Hillbilly Hoedown,” took him 40 or 50 hours to create and decorated the Northwest Missouri Area Agency on Aging’s Senior Fair in Bethany in June.

The power of rehabilitation through art has apparently made a positive dent in his outlook.

“I guess it’s done me some good,” said Aquil, who worked as a sign and billboard painter before he was sent to prison.

His development as an artist has led to a variety of creations that depict Western scenes, still life, sunsets, waterfalls and many other subjects. He had earlier taken to decorating entire cell walls, on request, with his designs.

“Whatever kind of scene they wanted,” Aquil said. “Anything they can imagine.”

His estimated 3,000 portraits run the gamut from stars such as John Wayne and Lucille Ball to politicians such as John F. Kennedy and Barack Obama. He’s also done self-portraits and likes to refer to himself as “Aquil — The Master Shadow Caster.” Figuring out measurements and balancing features with light and dark colors helped develop the skills.

“I do them on the (prison) yard,” he said. “It takes me an hour or two to do a portrait like that. The portraits are my favorite.”

He hopes to parlay his artistic success in prison into a career on the outside, based on an expected release from custody several months from now. He’s spent four years at the Cameron facility. He wants to create a designer envelope company and produce greeting cards — some of which he’s already prepared.

Charities also benefit from his efforts. He enjoys making and painting wooden toys in the prison’s toy shop for children who attend Camp Quality. He wants to continue assisting worthy causes — such as battered women and children after he becomes free.

“If there is anything I can do to help them, I will,” Aquil said.

 

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