My army son had taken the family to a gun range to show us how to shoot. I was terrified. I didn't have much courage. 

This army son, who is 27 years old, won't find out if he is a BRCA2 carrier like myself and my daughter. That is a type of courage which the women in my family have. 

Which courage is greater? 

This mixed media work has the gun range paper from that day underneath the art. 

My piece was created after a lung cancer diagnosis and treatment. I had just lost my best friend to stomach cancer when they found my lung cancer. I was treated with radiation. It was a stressful time for me and my family. 
 
This piece was very cathartic in that it allowed me to dispel some of the anger in a non violent manner. You can see the chaos and frustration in the piece. The gold and white represent freedom while the black and dark red represent the fear and anger. It is dark but it brought me light.

The Journey

I am a survivor of both breast cancer and recently ovarian cancer. 

I painted this collage or acrylic mixed media piece after my first cancer and after my husband lost his battle with prostate cancer as we had cancer at the same time .  I was blessed with a friend who later came to be my beau. He has been by my side through everything. He has seen me widowed and living alone for the first time in my life, managing day to day, and at first worrying about scans,  doctor's appointments, chemotherapy,  and reoccurrence of cancer.  

I have at times been overwhelmed with myself trying to do everything. Now, researching for answers and reassurance, and overthinking everything. He wrote me the note in the painting and I had put it on my refrigerator so that it would remind me "One Day at a Time."  

I decided to put it in a piece of my work as I paint to relax and focus on something other than the creeping thoughts. I added "relax and restore" from some piece that I saw on my newspaper recycle pile while I was painting. I see the piece everyday and it reminds me to slow down, breathe,  don't overthink everything, pace myself and that no matter what happens....all will be well! 

Each day is a gift. The simple things in life are gifts  Love and friendship are gifts.  
 

BRCA2. Mixed Media on Wood

By Erin McGee Ferrell

October 19th, 2022

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