Featured Works From the 195 Day Cancerversary Series of 2023

To celebrate being 5 years cancer free in 2023, I shared a work a day for 195 days, the number of days between the first sign something was wrong until the day "no evidence of disease" was pronounced. Most are minis, 2" to 4" squares on paper or wood. A few works are larger. Pop over to IG to see more and cancer treatment memories and other inspos behind the works. 

POURED OUT

Series inspired by the miracle of the widow's oil 2 Kings 4:1 - 7. Exhibited at Bon Secours Retreat & Conference Center, Marriottsville MD September 12 - 25, 2022. . 

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MINI MOSAICS Free Shipping & Local Delivery Available

All palette trash mosaics in the grid below are on cradled wood panels 1.5" in depth. 4 x 4" > $125, 8 x 8" > $175, and 12 x 12" > $225 

 MURAL INSTALLATION, "God's Love Poured Into Our Hearts" St. Louis, Missouri  November 2020

Commissioned by Lutheran Church Extension Fund to bring joyful color to a multi-use space in a ministry headquarters, this mosaic mural is comprised of nine panels and stretches 24 feet wide. The title comes from a Bible passage, Romans 5: 1 - 5, an encouragement to love, serve, and persevere because God has poured his love into our hearts.  While I worked on the panels, both in my home studio and in a larger borrowed space, the mural was impossibly huge. It took miles and miles of  "palette trash," material made by painting on plastic then peeling and cutting it into strips. To give a sense of "pouring" downward, airy hues evocative of sky and water cascade into darker  blues and purples. Patterned pinks, oranges, yellows, browns and gold foil shimmer add to the dance.  As well as a feature heart and cross flanking the screen, whole and broken hearts  are scattered throughout. Thoughts on the theme, creative process, and installation can be found in the blog posts and video below. 

​This One is Big October 2, 2020            Big Progress October 21, 2020            Big Color October 28, 2020            Big Wrap Up November 17, 2020

LANDSCAPES
It must be the vertical lines of bare trees that make late Fall exciting to me. I hungrily drink up skies and hillsides suddenly revealed, framed by inky spires. After a November 2020 road trip I made these mosaics, shown in order of creation. Each is 6 x 6 inches on wood. 

MINIS 4 - 6 inch squares

SOLD Lush

$75.00

4 x 4 x 1.5" Abstract mosaic in greens and blues with gold foil. Sits well on a shelf / surface or may be hung.

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Black Over Gold #2

$95.00

6 x 6 x 1.5" Abstract mosaic in sleek tuxedo blacks and whites with gold foil.

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Red Over Gold

$75.00

4 x 4" palette trash mosaic on wood. Rich, glossy reds and gold foil with accents of black and teal. Comes with black display easel.

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MIDIS 12 - 24 inch squares & rectangles 

SOLD Sweet Morning

$250.00

12 x 12 inch palette trash mosaic on wood. A sweet, juicy splosh of orange, pink, yellow, and purple. It might recall a morning sky or the taste and feel of fruit splashing in the mouth.

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Milestones #9

$225.00

12 x 12 inch palette trash mosaic on wood. Bands of white patterned with gray and ochre stream down into a dance party of blues, greens, pinks, oranges, yellows, and gold foil. Part of a series started in 2019 following successful cancer treatment as a reminder to celebrate the little things.

7/8 inch cradle painted pale gray.

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TEAL SERIES for OVARIAN CANCER SUPPORT 

Teal was one of my favorite colors before I learned it was the awareness color for ovarian cancer, so with the joy of a survivor I make lotsa pieces in teal. 25% of teal sales go to support either the Johns Hopkins Kelly Gynecologic Oncology Service or the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition. 

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Hezekiah's Altarpiece
November 1st , 2019 marked one year since receiving the news of NED (no evidence of disease) status after treatment for ovarian cancer. I decided to celebrate by making a three-panel altarpiece to praise God for my health and his tender care. 

Hezekiah, a king of ancient Judah, became dear to me during treatment thanks to my nephew.  The account of Hezekiah's illness and recovery gave me reminders of God's goodness. Read the whole story >>

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12 x 36" mixed media mosaic, "Milestones," donated to support the Johns Hopkins Kelly Gynecologic Oncology Service through their  2019 survivorship conference. 
The concept of milestones took on new meaning for me during treatment for ovarian cancer in 2018. I took time to note and celebrate points of progress of all kinds—medically, physically, spiritually, emotionally, relationally. There were mega-milestones like hitting the halfway point in chemo and tiny ones like simply reaching the end of a bag of whatever-platin during an infusion. Celebrating kept me present to the moment and boosted momentum to keep moving forward. I hope everyone who views it is reminded to see progress and moments worth celebrating all around. It now hangs in my gyn onc's office, the incredible Dr. Rebecca Stone who understands these milestones like no one else.

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Gold Over Twilight

24 x 36", mixed media. A riot of color and texture with gold foil. At night the tiny squares of applied gold wink with an ancient warmth as the rest of the painting goes quiet. ​

The Joy of the Lord is My Strength

This 30 x 40" mixed media mosaic was commissioned by a friend. I asked her for color preferences and a Bible verse or two for inspiration.  Warm, joyful tones and gold foil shine up through sky blues, grounded by rhythmic bands of black and white inspired by piano keys and sheet music. I pray it gives her family many years of  visual joy and a reminder that God not only brings us through hard times, he gives us the strength to find joy and sing praise in any circumstance. 

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Always Being Made New

Just under 4 inches square, this little painted prayer makes my heart sing. Over cobalt blue I collaged gold leaf and strips of dried palette paint. I was inspired to make this for someone going through a difficult time. He told me the story of his daughter's bold battle with ovarian cancer and her now even bolder life. My own father passed before my ovarian cancer hit so to hear what it was like for him - his pain as well as his fatherly pride for her faith and bravery - was a powerful encouragement. Even though I placed each piece myself, deliberation and delight in equal measure, it feels more like it was given to me than that I crafted it. I pray it is a blessing.

Private collection, Baltimore MD

Blue Over Pink

A few judicious pieces of dried palette paint can be found in this one too - amid scratched, stamped, and painted marks. Pure joy. Three feet by four. 

Beauty Over Broken

So I broke a precious Christmas ornament. Glass, gold, crystals. Worst of all, it wasn't mine. My friend was gracious. When she wasn't looking, I snagged the broken bits from the rubbish to upcycle my folly. Strips of dried palette paint, teeny tiny Helen Frankenthaler's, set off the fragments nicely.