Lilly Oncology on Canvas 2010 Exhibit
"Awaken" won the oil painting category in the 2010 Lilly Oncology on Canvas. The award for this honor was $1,000 given to my favorite charity organization. I am thrilled with such an honor to be able to share my cancer journey through artwork with others. This piece will circulate around the country amongst many cancer centers and organizations in 2011.
The gray hands represent the cancer, a cold gray colorless world, where no beauty exist. Through out my cancer journey, I tried to keep positive thoughts. Wanting to change things and being a part of a positive outlook, the gray world evolves into a beautiful butterfly, representing the beauty found within the soul in the aftermath. Positive energy creates color and good karma.
"Awakening"
Awakening
I heard a scream in the distance
Was that me?
A warm hand
Words spinning in my head
Minutes, hours and days go by
It’s raining on the inside
I look into the mirror
The reflection is familiar
A climb high and strenuous
I am reaching, stretching
The apex is near
Is that a beacon?
Another day, a precious gift
A warrior, a survivor
I reached deep within
I fought a good fight
A cancer journey, a chrysalis
Art is my silver lining
To share with others
To give color in a world so gray
It took cancer to awaken my soul.
By Susan H. Schaffer