Courtney Wilkinson and Brandon Christensen
The Story
Courtney Wilkinson
Rockwall
Social Media: @TheCourtPaige
Survivor
Twist on Cancer: I was just 28 years old when I entered Cancerland. It felt like my world was crumbling as I was told I had a very rare, aggressive cancer with a short life expectancy rate. It has been 5 years since my diagnosis, and even though I am still fighting my 4th reoccurrence, I'm here and loving life! Cancer may have taken a lot from me, but it has taught me to celebrate small victories. It has taught me to ‘Go with the flow’ in the moments of darkness that occur, I have discovered that even though the blueprints are smudged, and my future may be scary, it is also marvelous! It has taught me that even though at times I may not recognize the woman I see in the mirror, my character remains, and I am stronger than before. So love hard, laugh often, sing loud, and always say yes to the random dance parties!
Social Media: @TheCourtPaige
Survivor
Twist on Cancer: I was just 28 years old when I entered Cancerland. It felt like my world was crumbling as I was told I had a very rare, aggressive cancer with a short life expectancy rate. It has been 5 years since my diagnosis, and even though I am still fighting my 4th reoccurrence, I'm here and loving life! Cancer may have taken a lot from me, but it has taught me to celebrate small victories. It has taught me to ‘Go with the flow’ in the moments of darkness that occur, I have discovered that even though the blueprints are smudged, and my future may be scary, it is also marvelous! It has taught me that even though at times I may not recognize the woman I see in the mirror, my character remains, and I am stronger than before. So love hard, laugh often, sing loud, and always say yes to the random dance parties!
Brandon Christensen
Social Media: @brandons.artgallery
“Love Over Everything”
Acrylic and Mixed Media
24"x24"x1.25"
$600
Artist Statement: Being able to tell Courtney's story was an absolute privilege. I wanted to make sure I captured her journey as thoughtfully as possible. My takeaways from our meetings were that her support structure consisted of 4 pillars: Love, Hope, Friends and Family. These 4 pillars are all intertwined and help her cope with the struggles of dealing with cancer and her treatments. I brought the 4 elements together with a large heart that times them all together. I used mixed-media sheet music because that's my favorite form of mixed media and I wanted to tie in a piece of me into the painting, so it would truly be a collaborative piece that would exist well past this endeavor. It's been wonderful working with Courtney on this project.
“Love Over Everything”
Acrylic and Mixed Media
24"x24"x1.25"
$600
Artist Statement: Being able to tell Courtney's story was an absolute privilege. I wanted to make sure I captured her journey as thoughtfully as possible. My takeaways from our meetings were that her support structure consisted of 4 pillars: Love, Hope, Friends and Family. These 4 pillars are all intertwined and help her cope with the struggles of dealing with cancer and her treatments. I brought the 4 elements together with a large heart that times them all together. I used mixed-media sheet music because that's my favorite form of mixed media and I wanted to tie in a piece of me into the painting, so it would truly be a collaborative piece that would exist well past this endeavor. It's been wonderful working with Courtney on this project.