Icarus (Broken)

The idea for the painting, Icarus (Broken) came to me after receiving a diagnosis of stage 3B cancer. I felt as though the floor had fallen out from under my feet, sending me tumbling through a reality I once thought of as solid.

The classical story of Icarus is about a young person given a pair of wings to escape a prison. Though he is warned not to fly too high or too low, he sets off with confidence, and no small amount of pride, expecting that everything will work out the way he thinks it will. And then he falls.

Icarus (Broken) is about hubris, and frailty, but for me it is also about life appreciation and affirmation. To know the future is not assured opens us up to be present in every moment.

I’m happy to share that cancer is now gone, and has been for several years. I experience every day with gratitude, and want to share what I learned with anyone else on their own journey of recovery: a positive attitude will get you places you couldn’t reach otherwise, and most importantly 👉  Broken doesn’t mean finished.