Marissa Gootjes - Dancing Through The Storm (acrylic paint)

Type of Media
Drawing/Painting/Printmaking

Artist Statement
This is a painting of people walking together in murky, rainy weather holding bright colored umbrellas. The unpleasant weather is meant to represent challenges in life, such as having a brain tumor, and the people are going through it together. The bright umbrellas contrast the dark background and represent happiness and being yourself even through hard times. To put it shortly, the painting shows that you can still be yourself and that tough, dark situations such as brain tumors don't define you.

Art has been a big part of. my life ver since element tray school introduced me to drawing and painting. My favourite class since then has been visual arts, and through grades 6-9 I was sketching and colouring often; practicing and improving my skills. Although it was hard to get access to drawing materials at the IWK, I would make crafts at the youth center and go to the kid's section of the waiting area and draw with crayons. Art always calms me down and completing an original piece is quite satisfying.

Bio
Marissa was diagnosed in a October 2017 with glioblastoma. She’s been through surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Her passions are Art and Hockey. She lives with her parents and two siblings, as well as our dog Bauer. I gave her the nickname #MarissaTheFierce when she was first diagnosed and it went viral. She’s an amazing kid!!