My name is Montressa Hammond, I am the stroke-induced visual artist behind the published company Stroke of Art; a contemporary art company based in Maryland. In May 2020, I experienced a stroke on the right side of my brain, triggering the language disorder aphasia; negatively influencing language expression and comprehension. Having no prior painting capabilities or proclivities, I began painting abstract pieces, then seascapes, and now portraits. I manipulate vibrant and rich colors comparable to neon green and phthalocyanine green to layer and mix numerous shades, generating an oil like blend using acrylic paint. Utilizing images I believe in one glance, demonstrate the emotion I am experiencing and striving to express. My post-stroke journey has allowed me to relearn complex emotions varying joy and outrage from a first time perspective as an adult. This has allowed me to connect and encourage a spectrum of people through expressionism. My most featured 2023 painting “Intimacy in Shades of Green”; 24 x 24 x 1.5 inch acrylic piece, produces a raw reaction fostering a connection between my personal experience and the audience’s perceptions of intimacy.  I develop pieces using realism and surrealism to create a relatable representation of how I see and experience everyday life. My art discerns, identifies, and visually communicates the complex emotions I have difficulty expressing in words which reminds audiences they are not alone in learning to adapt in the world around them.  Recently published in Voyage Baltimore Magazine article “Meet Montressa Hammond” and having been awarded recognition at the 2023 Bethesda Row Art Festival, I continue to challenge my ability to produce art that resonates with the average person. ​