My first....

I am so excited and proud to present to you my first Penny Pickles, non-child art painting!!! This has been such a wonderful, nerve wracking, moving experience - I am thrilled to share it with you!

Let me give you a bit of background.  Jennie and Benji (sorry you'll always been Benji for me) Walters are a wonderful couple that I went to high school with.  Jennie was on the committee with me to plan and prepare our 10 year reunion.  We hadn't really kept in touch, but through friends of friends, knew the goings on of our lives.  Well three years ago Jennie was pregnant with her second child.  During her pregnancy they found out that their baby had a 13q chromosome deletion.  That finding could represent a range of health issues for their child. Through their love and faith they brought baby Noah into this world.  Noah is an adorable little boy and has quite a number of battles under his belt. A few months into life, Noah was diagnosed with cancer.  He started chemo, before most babies start solid foods.  As you can imagine there have been ups and downs. He lived in Boston with Mom, Dad and big brother Adam for a time for proton therapy to shrink his tumors.  Fast forward to now, Noah has been in remission and is growing by leaps and bounds.  His developments are in fast forward and he is such a ray of sunshine to his family and those around him.  I rival you to hear this story and see this little guy and not be TOUCHED!!!!  As my mom was battling cancer herself, she would say, it isn't fair - this little boy having to go through all these things - it is amazing what a dose of perspective can do to a persons soul. 

 

Adorable Noah!

Jennie contacted me to do a painting that would embody the family theme that they have adopted throughout this process: "Keep Faith."  I was touched and terrified in one moment! How can I paint a picture that displays something so HUGE?  I created an "interpretation"  that I sent to the Walters with their painting - mostly because I wanted them to see what I saw, I have included it below. 

Keep Faith           

When asked to do a painting that would embody the theme “Keep Faith”, my first reaction was one of a literal sense, praying hands, prayer, religious symbols and the like.  I awoke the next morning and went for a run before the sun rose, and while on my run I was so struck by my surrounding environment, the sun rising, the colors of the sky, the water on the reservoir near our home and the reflections on that water.  As I drew this imagery in, I realized that this scene that I was looking at could also represent the idea of keeping faith. 

Noah and your family have endured some choppy, scary, uncharted waters.  Starting with the information on his chromosome deletion, through his birth, diagnosis, tests and treatments. The water in this painting represents those times, the choppy darkness with the skips of light and reflection.  This water is difficult to navigate, and one could easily lose their way and succumb to those waters.   Through faith you did not lose your way and with faith there is hope and with hope there is light.  That light is representative of the sun.  God is light, God is hope, God is the energy that fills us with faith and keeps us going.  I also see the sun representing Noah as well.   Bright and shining, rising above the challenges he has and continues to face.  He rises above into the sky, spreading light, hope, cheer and most of all life.  Spreading this light into the sky, illuminating the dark waters and the dark sky into a beautiful new day.  Every time the sun rises we are all blessed with another day and another opportunity to “Keep Faith.”

So after my previous post I am grateful and humble for having been patient.  Jennie wrote a quick note to me today, their computer has been down and she has been limited to her online time.  Can I tell you how much this made my day!!!!  She said, "I love it, love it, love it!!! "  It is short and sweet, but such music to my ears.  I am so honored to have been able to create something so special for this family, I am moved beyond words.  Thank you for letting me create this painting and be a small part of your experience.

"Keep Faith"

Sunrise

If you want to find out more about Noah, check out his caringbridge site.  On another note, I am going to push my contest to begin in a couple of days, so check back and until then...

Thanks!