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Rockies pitcher Ryan Feltner finds outlet in abstract painting

Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post on

Published in Baseball

Ryan Feltner is discussing his art.

This particular painting, one he’s informally named “Busy,” is a riot of colors, shapes, meaning and emotions.

“It says something about me, for sure,” the Rockies’ starting pitcher said. “In a way, it’s about reaching into yourself, maybe getting back to the child inside. But it’s also about forgetting things you’ve learned, getting past all of those layers, and then just seeing what comes out.

“But paintings also say something different to anyone who looks at them. I like that. That’s really what I’m going for.”

Spoken like a true abstract expressionist.

Feltner, 27, the Rockies’ hard-throwing right-hander, has loved painting since he was a kid, but he’s never had formal training. He dabbled occasionally but didn’t become passionate about his art until the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

 

“For me, during the pandemic, it was a way to fill some time when so many people were isolated and alone,” he said.

When he suffered a severe head injury during a game last May, painting helped with his recovery, filling a void while he was unable to pitch.

“It was a good activity … because it was an outlet for my energy and emotion when I couldn’t get on the mound,” he said.

It also helped him cope with a traumatic event.

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