The Easter Eggs of PLATINUM

Come closer. I’m going to share some easter eggs with you!

A big part of connecting with art is being able to talk about it. Every decision I make in a piece has a reason behind it- even some of the “happy accidents” that can occur with watercolor help tell a story. Each piece of the PLATINUM collection has special meaning so I thought I’d pull the curtain back a bit and let you in on the hidden easter eggs.

You already know about the platinum drops (if you missed this, scroll back a few posts) but did you take note of the two main colors seen in all eight of the paintings? Each piece is primarily blue with touches of orange. First meaning is that blue reminds people of water/the ocean. It’s calming and therapeutic and has a rebirth/baptismal element to it. “Washes you clean” if you will. But when I added the touches of orange, that was for a much more literal meaning- a nod to the treatment packaging. Each treatment IV bag had orange caps and deep ultramarine writing. (The color orange also repeated itself in the pill bottles that lined our kitchen counter.)

And did you notice the line work varies more in these paintings than my other work? If you look closely at the flower, the lines lose their vibrance and strength when they’re under the pool. They go from multiple black lines to one solitary graphite line. That’s to illustrate how much of a toll the treatment takes on you. And how about the bold, graphic lines that run across each piece? A nod to the IV lines that delivered the medicine.

Lastly, the blooms themselves. Some are fully open while others are in various states of opening or closing. I’ll keep the mystery behind what exactly each one represents, but what I will share is they represent the emotional shifts experienced throughout the whole ordeal.

Now my question for you is, were these surprises or had you already started to decipher the various hidden meanings in the works?

Why the name PLATINUM?

Why did I name the collection PLATINUM? One of J’s chemotherapy drugs was platinum-based (which is used to treat cancer by interfering with the DNA of rapidly dividing cancer cells.)

It is incredibly effective, but also incredibly long lasting; remnants of platinum will remain circulating in his blood for the rest of his life. I named the collection PLATINUM to acknowledge the fact it never leaves- both literally (it will remain in his blood) as well as metaphorically (even after it’s over, the experience forever alters you.)

If you look closely, you’ll see drops of “platinum” floating around each painting. Difficult to photograph, but absolutely beautiful to see in person when it catches the light.

PLATINUM journal snippet

“The delay between blinks- how he keeps his eyes closed just a bit longer than normal. The subtle throat clearing to hold back nausea.

How he’s stopped fighting me when I tell him to take it easy. Or to take a nap.

The little barely perceivable winces when they put in another IV.

I wish I could do this for him. (Of course then I know it’d just be him sitting here wishing he could do it for me.)”

-snippet from one of my journal entries during chemo infusion

The PLATINUM collection goes live July 12th. A percentage of all proceeds will be donated to University Cancer and Blood Center to help another patient with the costs of treatment.

My newest series: PLATINUM

Vulnerability is hard because it has the ability to hurt. It puts your guard down and makes you susceptible to scrutiny.
To judgment.
To gossip.

But it’s also the only way to connect. To show your true self and to build bonds and grow. It’s a bit ironic, but you can’t actually grow stronger until you admit when you are weak.

I started painting this collection to work through the wide range of emotions I was experiencing after learning my husband had cancer. In a matter of what felt like seconds, my healthy 39-year-old husband went from “no cancer/not even thinking about cancer” to somehow “has cancer and is undergoing surgery and chemotherapy.”

My brain just could not wrap around how quickly our life had changed, how helpless it all made me feel, and how scary it was.
I also wasn’t sure if I was ever going to share these paintings (much less offer them to be collected) but now that they are finished (and we are gratefully on the other side of things) I realized it would be untrue to myself if I didn’t.

So July 12 PLATINUM will be released. For everyone who has battled cancer, loved someone with cancer, or lost someone to cancer- this collection is for you.

*A portion of all the proceeds will be donated to Athens University Cancer and Blood Center to help others with the costs associated with treatment.