“Happy Place”
Colin S.
San Francisco, CA
Social Media: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colin-sweeney-a27071b3/
Indolent Systemic Mastocytosis
Twist on SM: I was diagnosed with systemic mastocytosis nearly ten years ago, just after college, and it has been a constant, if not always visible, part of my adult life. Matt and I chose a Joshua Tree landscape at dawn to reflect my love of the outdoors, the resilience of life in places where the odds seem stacked against it, and the sense that the days ahead are full of possibility and wonder, even with SM. Beneath the landscape are images of mast cells under a microscope, painted to glow so they surface only at certain moments, much like the disease itself. Many thanks to the Colors of SM program and Blueprint Medicines, to Matt for his artistry, partnership, and endless good vibes, to the specialists at Stanford and UCSF who have cared for me along the way, and of course, to family and friends.
Matt Eckerle
Fort Thomas, KY
Social Media: @matteckerleart (Instagram)
“Happy Place”
Spray Paint, Screen Print
24” x 18”
$350
Artist Statement: ‘Nature is my happy place’ was how Colin introduced himself to me. After hearing this I knew this was going to be a good match. He described how his love for the outdoors came from trips to Joshua Tree (featured in the artwork), Palm Springs and Anza Borrego. My version of outdoors is a little different as one of my favorite things to do is simply take my dog Toby for a walk but the connection is still there…the love of being in the fresh air and spending time with loved ones or even just a few moments for self. This idea was what hit me most when talking to Colin about SM and how there are days when he is feeling up to taking in his love for the outdoors but there are other days…that he isn’t. Just the thought of not feeling up to enjoying one of life’s simplest pleasures of going outside because your body isn’t up for it was humbling. I couldn’t imagine trying to manage each and every day with that level of unpredictability and uncertainty. Because of that story, Colin decided to create a piece depicting one of his favorite locations, Joshua Tree, while also including an image of a mast cell in a bone marrow biopsy in systemic mastocytosis. We wanted to highlight the beauty of Colin’s ‘happy place’ by using bold and bright colors but we also used a somewhat transparent ink to create the cell to show it’s ever presence in Colin’s life showing that whether it’s a good day, a bad day or somewhere in between, it’s always there. I personally would like to thank Colin for giving me his time, his story, and for sharing his experience with SM which is something I knew very little about. I greatly appreciate his time, his openness and willingness to be a part of this piece.