What’s this painting about?

What’s going on in this painting?

This painting examines my radiation experience during my breast cancer treatment. Underneath my skin and in my flesh, laid a disease that in its size seemed so small, yet it had the force to dominate every thought and emotion if allowed. Cancer has and is calibrating me and my choices. The various stickers placed on my torso to ensure the exact areas of radiation had bright markings that felt like a design element. These stickers literally were x’s that marked the spot.

The use of clear gesso allows the grain of the wood or the texture of the canvas material to be seen in its raw state and exposed. The palette, design elements and composition are inspired by the décor to the medical gowns I observed in multiple medical facilities and equipment used to target the cancer.

My paintings are the visual documentation of my life. They reflect my personal story and are often autobiographical. Processing deeply personal themes, the vulnerability of my work allows me to share an authentic human experience. Painting gives me a method to process my life as much as it gives me opportunities to have interchange between my inner and outer worlds. My paintings are also my visual form of prayer.