"Hoping" paintings series Writing the grant application got me thinking about the project I had proposed, "Chemo Today". I have done many paintings of women in emotional maelstroms. Quite often I paint on gessoed Lenox paper. At less than $3.00 for a 22"x30" piece of paper, I have the freedom to explore. I did a series of paintings that I named "Hoping". Abby, Beth, Claire, Donna, and millions of women face days of chemotherapy. Every morning she gathers her wits, focuses her chi, and pulls herself together. Any minute she will leap to her feet, or stagger, put something on her head, and march out the door to her future.
I was attempting to capture the conflict a woman facing chemo each day has just trying to get dressed, cover her bald head, and remember she's a woman, not a case number. The closet is a place to hide. Each woman knows there is no way to hide from this disease, or disguise the toll it takes on their bodies and souls. The first two figures I appropriated from advertising in a magazine. Abby doesn't work as a real figure, but I like the alien look of her. I was also working on a palette of colors that would emphasize how other worldly you feel when you are caught in a medical mangle. I was able to work from a model for Claire & Donna. I also did a large figure when I was angry with Bank of America. We tried each painting in the closet before choosing Hoping-Claire. No matter your ethnic origin, there are no blue people. Originally I was going to put her smack in the middle, feet on the floor. My team of collaborators convinced me she would be jammed into the corner. Because of my experience as a painter, in the beginning I thought the closet would be a showcase for the figure. Chemo Today taught me better.
|
