This is a painting of my nine-year-old daughter Lacey. By age two, she had endured multiple surgeries and months of chemotherapy to treat her cancer. At such a crucial age for development, she was confined within hospital walls.
Once she was in remission, we initiated a plan to travel around Australia, immersing ourselves in the natural world, and hoping to let go of her identity as a sick child. I'll always wonder how these experiences at such a young age have influenced and shaped who she is today, and who she will become.
In my painting, I chose to depict Lacey lying peacefully in a safe and dreamlike state on one of the beaches we visited during our travels. I hope that despite the trauma of her time spent in the hospital, the good times that followed have helped with her healing to balance out the bad. The world is still a beautiful and loving place she can feel safe in.
