My name is Gail Durant, and I experienced cancer through my husband Bob, in the care I provided for him. He passed in 2013 with glioblastoma multiforme 4. We were extremely close and did everything together. He loved flowers and walks with nature. I just recently started painting when COVID-19 hit. I'll never forget in the infusion room where my husband was being treated for his cancer that there were flowers outside the window and we used to sit and watch the hummingbirds come by. The window with flowers inspired me to paint this and I was pleasantly surprised how well it came out for my third painting. I also incorporated yellow roses as my mom died of lung cancer and yellow roses were her favorite flower. I did all the flowers with a Q-tip and toothpick.

This artwork was originally submitted for the CURE® 2021 Healing Through Hues Calendar Contest.

My very good friend, Steffi Goddard, is a professional artist. About six months after my cancer diagnosis, during a particularly rough mental patch, she recommended that I join her for an immersive painting experience to “get out of my head." I had never painted anything before and was a bit nervous. However, her process was incredible. She told me to write a poem or something meaningful to me on the canvas, after which I picked a single color to draw a line revealing my entire life journey. After all the twists and turns and loop-di-loops, I chose three to four water-based acrylics and started painting between those ‘journey’ lines. Splashes and blocks of color magically appeared. And then, the craziest instruction: turn the canvas this way and that way to find the UP that speaks to you. Now, step back. Breathe. Look at it. What did I see? She gave me a piece of charcoal and all of a sudden I sketched a leg and a dress, and a goddess dancing her way to freedom with her arms above her head in ecstasy, and it just kept coming to life. The dress had movement, the fire crackled and the wisteria cried. I added some stencil detail and then she asked me how I felt. I said, “Free - this is my freedom.” Her last instruction: take a piece of charcoal and write that word on the painting somewhere. Now take your other hand and write it again. It was an incredible four-hour experience and I look forward to my next painting.

This artwork was originally submitted for the CURE® 2021 Healing Through Hues Calendar Contest.

Freedom

I painted this mixed media piece to remind myself that although I see most everything in black-and-white, there’s always a little pop of color somewhere, and if we look hard enough, we’ll find it.

Window Flowers

By Gail Durant

October 13th, 2021

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