Michaela Hernandez and Kathryn Tubbs
The Story
Michaela Hernandez
Los Angeles, CA
Breast cancer survivor
Twist on Cancer: “One day at a time.” Words I’ve lived by since December 20, 2019 - the day I was diagnosed with breast cancer. With endless appointments and doctors sharing new information at every visit, it was easy to feel overwhelmed, anxious, fearful, and confused. When I thought about my future, it caused my head to spin with questions and fears. It was too much. I needed to adjust my approach and take each day one at a time. Easier said than done but with practice it became more doable. I practiced mindfulness and learned and appreciated the present moment more than ever. Cancer left its mark on me - literally, I have the scars to show for it - but it also taught me to enjoy today wholeheartedly. Today is a gift and I hold gratitude for each new day I get to live.
Breast cancer survivor
Twist on Cancer: “One day at a time.” Words I’ve lived by since December 20, 2019 - the day I was diagnosed with breast cancer. With endless appointments and doctors sharing new information at every visit, it was easy to feel overwhelmed, anxious, fearful, and confused. When I thought about my future, it caused my head to spin with questions and fears. It was too much. I needed to adjust my approach and take each day one at a time. Easier said than done but with practice it became more doable. I practiced mindfulness and learned and appreciated the present moment more than ever. Cancer left its mark on me - literally, I have the scars to show for it - but it also taught me to enjoy today wholeheartedly. Today is a gift and I hold gratitude for each new day I get to live.
Kathryn Tubbs
El Segundo, CA
www.ktubbsart.com
Social Media: @ktubbsart (IG)
“She Laughed as if We Would Never Die”
Acrylic, pencil & Conte a Paris on canvas
36"x36"x2"
$500
Artist Statement: My artwork creates beauty from what is often considered grotesque. I depict human disease, injuries, scars, and the body’s interior and microscopic matter. The images are abstractions created from source material of medical science. (X-Rays, scans, etc.) My exploration started in graduate school at CSU Long Beach, while my family was caring for a terminally ill child relative with cancer. Visually, the surprising colors of disease made a deep impression—whether from the side effects of chemotherapy or the colors of diagnostic medical imagery. Non-traditional color choices take my images from realism to abstraction and create a way for me to inject positivity into a somber subject matter. I work to generate messages of hope, beauty and positivity in and through trauma. My artwork is a type of souvenir for the viewer—not of geographic travel, but of the journey through disease and injury to recovery.
Working with Michaela Hernandez as my Inspiration for Brushes with Cancer Midwest was an absolute pleasure! She is a joyful personality, and we laughed a lot in our interactions. I wanted to honor her bright light by creating an image that would match her sunny disposition, while also doing justice to the serious health challenges she faced. We jokingly called her painting “side boob,” as the image depicts the internal structure of a breast from the side with the tumor in detail. The title, “She Laughed as if We Would Never Die” speaks to Michaela’s sparkling attitude in facing her cancer and future.
www.ktubbsart.com
Social Media: @ktubbsart (IG)
“She Laughed as if We Would Never Die”
Acrylic, pencil & Conte a Paris on canvas
36"x36"x2"
$500
Artist Statement: My artwork creates beauty from what is often considered grotesque. I depict human disease, injuries, scars, and the body’s interior and microscopic matter. The images are abstractions created from source material of medical science. (X-Rays, scans, etc.) My exploration started in graduate school at CSU Long Beach, while my family was caring for a terminally ill child relative with cancer. Visually, the surprising colors of disease made a deep impression—whether from the side effects of chemotherapy or the colors of diagnostic medical imagery. Non-traditional color choices take my images from realism to abstraction and create a way for me to inject positivity into a somber subject matter. I work to generate messages of hope, beauty and positivity in and through trauma. My artwork is a type of souvenir for the viewer—not of geographic travel, but of the journey through disease and injury to recovery.
Working with Michaela Hernandez as my Inspiration for Brushes with Cancer Midwest was an absolute pleasure! She is a joyful personality, and we laughed a lot in our interactions. I wanted to honor her bright light by creating an image that would match her sunny disposition, while also doing justice to the serious health challenges she faced. We jokingly called her painting “side boob,” as the image depicts the internal structure of a breast from the side with the tumor in detail. The title, “She Laughed as if We Would Never Die” speaks to Michaela’s sparkling attitude in facing her cancer and future.
The Reveal