Our Diabetes Art
Tuesday, September 25, 2012 at 7:42AM Here it is, my Diabetes Art Day contribution.
Tree of D-Life
I started with an idea that I came up with as I drifted off to sleep Sunday night. I will sit down and check my bg. Whatever the number is I will write it with blood on the canvas. After that, who knows.
And that is what I did. It took a lot of finger pricks and squeezing to get all the blood out but I did it. My mother thought it was barbaric and I said, "diabetes is barbaric. I have to cut myself open and bleed just to live. It's not right."
As I continued colors started to streak across the canvas with zero direction and suddenly a tree emerged. I wasn't sure I liked it as much as I liked the honesty and sort of twistedness of it. It may not be pretty but diabetes is anything but that. It's grusome, inhumane, barbaric, and gory. The Tree of D-life. Fed by my blood or we both won't survive.
My wife did a pastel drawing she calls Heartbroken.
It was a quiet time sitting at the table. Our daughter was asleep early due to a chest cold and our son was at school until late. We sat at the table both sort of lost in the art work. My mother sat and tried to draw but just couldn't. She is an amazing artist and I think without any prior thought it was difficult for her.
I, who knows nothing about what is right or wrong when it comes to art, just started and decided something would eventionally surface. And I guess it did.
Thank you Lee Ann so much. It is such a good feeling when you are finished and see what you created. Not only the art but the emotions and feelings you get looking at it. I love it!
Be sure and check out all the art on the Diabetes Art Day website.
Reader Comments (6)
I love the process and the results!
Wow! These are really good! I love it!
K2 and Amber - Thank you both! It was a lot of fun creating them.
Dude, these are both really powerful to me.
These images are so captivating to me. They are amazingly vibrant and energetic. I've looked at them several times since you posted them on the Diabetes Art Day site, and I feel like I notice something new or experience new emotions each time I see them. I love hearing about the process too... the art therapist nerd in me thinks that is at least as compelling as the finished artwork, so thank you for sharing that part :)
oh i love them both! thank you for sharing your process as well.
as for 'barbaric', i agree. sometimes L uses her blood in art (or one time, in her halloween costume) and it makes me feel a bit icky as her mom, but it obviously means something to her, and i'm sure she would agree with your statements. thank you and your wife so much for sharing. <3