When I was diagnosed with breast cancer in the summer of 2017, my first action was to ask for prayer. People I've never even met prayed for me. The shared burden that prayer encapsulates comforted me that whatever happened, good or bad, I was at peace with my life, content. I wrote about it here. After chemotherapy, radiation, and six surgeries in three years, I'm more than ready to be finished with everything. To that end, I've been working hard on a return to health which involves taking specific supplements, stretching, using specifically formulated creams and lotions for lymphedema, pneumatic compression an hour a day, occasional cold therapy, physical therapy, psychotherapy, reducing sugar intake, running or walking daily, and temporarily switching to a plant based diet to help reduce inflammation in my body. I've even started painting again, which is a big deal, because for the longest time I didn't even have the energy, mental or physical, strength, or range of motion to stand at the easel and paint. It's so rewarding to again find such delight and enjoyment in creating art. I love it!
Unfortunately, breast cancer comes with a price tag. Besides the obvious changes in how my body looks and functions, there is the added stress of paying medical bills. Perhaps seventeen years of acquired artistic skill could offer a win/win for those who might be inclined to share our burden once again. (?)
Art is what I would like to present and use as a fundraiser to raise money to cover our medical bills. To do this, I am offering original copies of my own work.
So far, I've painted sixteen landscapes which were copied from one of my paintings that my parents own, and the sixteen paintings of oranges and apples are copied from one of my paintings that some dear friends of ours own. These paintings are all 10" x 10" oil on board (plywood). There are twenty of the path with crepe myrtles painting, eleven of which are 10"x10", and nine of which are 8" x 10". (Don't remember who owns the original painting of this.)
For a donation of $1 per square inch, you get an original piece of art created by yours truly (win) and the Amazing Reese and I are blessed by your donation which goes toward the deficit in our budget created by breast cancer related medical expenses (win). That means a 10" x 10" painting is a donation of $100 and an 8" x 10" painting is a donation of $80. (and so on -- I have some 6" x 8" = $48, 5" x 7"= $35, and 4" x 6" = $24 paintings in the works - coming soon.)
To create an assembly line of paintings is not an original idea. In the fall of 1998, Rice Gallery brought artist Stephen Keene to Houston for a show/exhibit. Keene created an assembly line of plywood surfaces and would then paint the same stroke on each board over and over, until an entire work of the same painting was created multiple times. It was a fascinating exhibit, to this day, one of my favorite exhibits of all, not because it was "fine" art, but because it was accessible.
Of special mention for this art fundraiser project is Art Supply on Almeda -- they very generously donated almost half of my art replenishing supplies. I'm ever so grateful.
Please feel free to share this post and/or another prayer on my behalf. Thank you!
