Tag Archives: cancer art

by

More creative

Dear Readers,

Ultra Sounds Mondays is on hold for a while. But in the meantime,  I look forward to carrying on with the conversation. You will continue to find here reflections on my own experiences as well as the creative activities of others that I am fortunate enough to discover.  Today I have some wonderful gems to share. Enjoy!

Sam

 

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Take a look at this amazing show of art work from young people with cancer. It’s organized by a group called the Middle East Cancer Coalition. If anything has a hope of bringing about peace in the middle east it is this kind of collaboration towards a common cause.

 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

I’ve seen several creative bra art shows, but this show from Brazil is my favourites.

 

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

You can now view the winners of the 2012 Arts Awards of Cancer Council Victoria (Australia) and vote for the people’s choice awards.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Max Foundation also has a yearly international art competition. See the Colors of Hope Gallery for some amazing art and messages from artists around the world.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

And just for fun, here’s a link to Leo Sewells’s wonderful art made from junk.

by

Hot off the press

The new Art for Cancer Foundation book is ready to order!

In Their Words Through Their Eyes, By Their Hands can be ordered through Blurb. This book is a collection of works that were on display at Toronto City Hall last February. Many of the works were generated in the Art for Cancer workshops offered throughout the city.

There’s some beautiful art work in this volume (and a little piece by moi). Please do consider ordering one for yourself, one for a friend and one for your local cancer hospital.

In the words of the Art for Cancer Foundation website:

In February 2012, the ART for Cancer Foundation held a week long exhibit at Toronto City Hall with the goal of continuing to raise awareness of the power of the creative process as a healing force.

The art exhibit was a wonderful kaleidoscope of colour, texture, shapes, and images, each uniquely demonstrating the healing power of art. Many participants shared their personal stories, which brought a level of depth and meaning far beyond the aesthetics of the art.

There were so many incredible stories of courage and hope that the one week exhibit did not do them justice! This book is a collection of their stories- in their own words, and their art – through their eyes and by their hands.

 

If you live in the Toronto area, the Foundation is offering all sorts of cool workshops this month.

Enjoy!

Sam

 

by

Ultra Sounds Mondays, November 5, 2012

 

Good morning everyone. It’s a cold day here in Ontario, Canada. I’m pulling out my longjohns tonight!

No new posts for you today I am sad to say (c’mon people, I’m waiting to hear from you!) So instead I thought I would post some links to previous contributors, so you can catch up on what they are up to.

 

Amy Marash has a great new cartoon here.

More wonderful work from Anna Moriarty Lev here.

Barbara Crooker’s poem “November, Sky Full of Bruises” could have been written for me. It make me think back to a November 12 years ago.

Dorit Fuhg has added to her portfolio of Art for Cancer prints - gorgeous.

Check out the latest works of my hero Viola Moriarty here.

Charles Phelps-Penry posted a newer cancer poem in July that I really like.

 

Well there’s a start. It’s a fertile bunch of creators that have posted over this last year. I would love to post your creative work. Take a look at submissions guidelines and keep the creativity flowing.

 

Enjoy the rest of your Monday.

Sam

by

Ultra Sounds Monday, September 10, 2012

Happy Monday to all. Today I am pleased to share with you the work of an artist I recently met online. I saw Gina Duque’s art on the cover of the journal Current Oncology and was blown away. (Every month this journal features a different artist – be sure to check out their archives. )

I’m going to tempt you with one painting today and you can look forward to others at a later date.  To read more about Gina and see more of her work you can click here.  Her works are for sale as well. Enjoy!

Sam

In her own words:

About the Artist

 

Whether it’s through prints like ‘Calypso’ or paintings like ‘Eukarya’, the essence of my work stems from creating mystical images inspired by cellular biology, the concept of healing and my interest in exploring the spiritual connection between the body and mind. I am currently using images derived from medical imaging technology to portray cells, tissues and systems of the human body.

During the last two and a half years of my cancer treatment, creating artworks has become a therapeutic and fulfilling process, eventually evolving into a spiritual and mindful practice.

Gina Duque is an emerging artist currently attending the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario for her Bachelor of Fine Arts Honours Degree. Originally from Cali, Colombia, she immigrated to Canada with her mother at the age of eleven to Walkerton, Ontario.

About ‘Eukarya’

“Eukarya,” is a mixed media painting that explores the concept of the body as the ultimate self-regenerating system through the power of visualization and the mind -body connection. Fantastical in nature, “Eukarya” is a symbol for vibrant, radiant health that arises from the harmonious balance between the mind, body and soul. 

Eukarya

by Gina Duque

by

Ultra Sounds Mondays, May 28, 2012

Today I’m delighted to present another art work by Viola Moriarty. I love this painting and the surreal combination of the every day domestic with the reality of a life with cancer.  You can  learn more about Viola  and her amazing art work at www.violamoriarty.com

Enjoy.

Sam

 

 

 

live your life (my oncologist says)

by Viola Moriarty

by

Nursing and creativity

It’s a rare treat to find a health care provider who puts out their creative work to the world. Today I discovered Julianna Paradisi an oncology nurse who is also a cancer survivor. Her art work is compelling as is her writing about art and science. Her musings about nursing as related to art resonate with me deeply. I keep reading her entries and thinking to myself “Yes, that’s it! That’s right! Tell it sister!”  Take a stroll through her blog and her website to engage in and enjoy her work.

 

Sam

 

by

Ultra Sounds Mondays, May 7, 2012

Welcome back after a quiet week.

Over the last few months I have had the pleasure of getting to “know” the wonderful Viola Moriarty online. I am delighted, thus, today to present some of her work for today’s submission. This will be our first mixed-media submission and is part of Viola’s “Barbie gets cancer” series. You will never look at Barbie the same way again. Click  here to read more about this series. Click here to visit Viola’s website.

Sam

———————————————————————————————————————–

Here’s what Viola has to say about herself:

I  painted my first painting almost 10 years ago, and knew as I felt brush and paint on canvas that I would change everything to paint.  And I did. 

 In 2007 I was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer, had partial mastectomy and 18 lymph nodes removed, targeted radiation and 6 rounds of kick ass chemo, followed by tamoxifen.

Last August I was diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer with metastesis around all my organs, the CNS, and many large and small brain tumors.  Had full brain radiation for three weeks followed by a lot of vomiting (lost 50 pounds in two months–good thing I had the extra to lose!), then femara and now fasolodex shots.  The treatments have been working and right now I’m doing great.  
 
My greatest love—even more than painting–is my family.  I have two amazing daughters:  Anna Moriarty Lev (levhardware.wordpress.com) and Phoebe Moriarty Lev (phoebesmundo.wordpress.com).  And I’m married to their father and the love of my life, Jon Lev.  Henry and Dulcinea are our two cats.  We live in Vermont, though I am from Denver, Colorado
——————————————————————————–
And here is what Viola had to say about the “Barbie” series:
The barbies  are from the Barbie Gets Cancer section of the ExVoto Suscepto Exhibit which traveled to several venues in 2009, including a presentation at Stowe Weekend of Hope in Vermont, Southern Vermont College, and the Southwestern Vermont Cancer Center.  They were part of my response to my first diagnosis in 2007.  I’m now working on Full Brain radiation Barbie, Fasolodex Barbie, Brain Met Barbie ….along with a series of paintings called “live your life, my onclogist says”.  

 
No matter what I envisioned when I played with those dolls (just as I’m sure Ruth Handler had no idea about her future when she invented them) I never once saw myself as growing up to get cancer.  
—————————————————————————————————————————-
Tamoxifen Barbie, 2008:
Radiation Barbie, mixed media on board, 2008:
Dexamethasone Barbie, mixed media, 2008:
by

A new treasure

 

Have a look at the website of poet Anthony Wilson. His poetry about his experience with lymphoma resonates for me and is worth checking out. He has an upcoming book being published called Riddance and you can read excerpts on his site.

 

Also, I’ve stumbled across a new cancer art show in Oklahoma that is accepting registration until June 1.

Here is the link:  http://integrisok.com/celebration-of-life/art-exhibit

 

May you have a poetic day.

 

Sam

by

Ultra Sounds Monday, April 23, 2012

I hope you are having a wonderful Monday.

Today I present you with our first ever painting here on Ultra Sounds.  I am so pleased that it comes from Cid Palacio, the founder of ART for Cancer Foundation in Toronto. Cid was the one to invite me to the art workshop where I created my oeuvre (or is that hors d’oeuvre).

I find this painting extraordinary and haunting. It resonates with me both as the daughter of a cancer patient and as a patient myself. I will let Cid describe it to you in her own words.

Sam

 

 

I created this piece around my experience as a caregiver to my parents and their cancer journey.

They climbed a steep mountain and in my mother’s case a series of steep mountains.

While they were climbing, they did not always see the summit, but knew they had to keep on climbing and have hope and faith that reaching the summit would free them from pain.

While they were climbing, they knew that they were not alone, there were many others on that same journey, and yet they also knew that this was a journey where each step only they could take, as their loved ones and friends supported them from the side lines.

Cid Palacio

Founder of the ART for Cancer Foundation

…where Heart connects with Art for Creativity and Hope