Name
L Palacio

Brain Tumor Type
Craniopharyngioma

Date of Diagnosis
10/10/2000

Age Group (If you are a caregiver/family member please check Caregiver/Family Member)
Adult: 21 and over

Category
Multimedia/2D/3D

Artist Statement (include type of art, techniques & materials used, what it means to you)
This piece was made traditionally from terracotta clay. Through weeks of modeling based on observation it’s roughly 19” tall and took around 35lbs of clay to complete. After the modeling process it had to be hollowed out to a thickness of half an inch so that it could dry properly and be fired. When it survived firing I coated it in a thin layer of wax and buffed it with a cloth to seal the terracotta and give it a more finished look.

This piece is very meaningful to me in that it shows my growth as an artist. I have always believed having a foundation of traditional art would make me a better artist no matter what I persuade as I go about my journey in the creative arts. This piece is the culmination of all that effort to build a sturdy foundation just as the masters of old once did. I think there’s a common misconception when people look at my work they speak as if they could never do work like mine and tend to write off art as something only people with talent are capable of. This is untrue art is a skill one I and the masters of old all practice for endless hours. Calling it talent dismisses this effort if anything I believe I’m talented in hard work and perseverance. Maybe I have the struggles with my health to thank for some of that there’s no giving up when you’re fighting a brain tumor. That’s why I find this piece so meaningful it’s piece I can look at and see my growth, it helps me to continue persevering through my journey as an artist and I hope I will only grow farther from here.

Bio (include your age, tumor type and date of diagnosis)
Hi! My name is L I’m 25 years old and one semester away from graduating with my bachelor’s in fine arts. I was diagnosed with a crainopharyngioma at just two years old on October the 10th 2000. I had a total resection and have been in remission for coming up on 23 years. I still deal with many of the side effects from my tumor which was rather large including blindness in my right eye and tunnel vision in my left everything that come with a missing pituitary gland including bone density issues fatigue and lot of medication and hospitalizations. That said I haven’t let that stop me in perusing Art in some ways it may be the reason I became so interested in art. Nothing brightened up my long hospital stays and sick days more then being able to do crafts or color. I remember being jealous other kids got to do all these things that I couldn’t, but when it came to art I felt more free from the chronic illness I live with and helped me endure all the struggles I’ve been through. No matter how much this tumor has taken from me art is the one thing it will never be able to. This gives me comfort and continues to inspire me down my artistic path.