The synergy series is an ongoing body of work integrating art with science, nature, pharmaceuticals, x-rays, medical supplies and devices, microscopy, and illness and disease. Synergistic activities are a combination of microscopic, scientific, pharmaceutical, radiologic, and images from nature and the healing professions.

My goal for creating the synergy series is to capture the communion existing between the sciences, nature, illness and disease, and the human spirit.  For my purposes, beauty is not synonymous with art; however, beauty may be experienced and visualized in an impalpable way, such as hope, healing, optimism, empathy, courage, forgiveness, compassion, and triumph.  The series focuses on the experiences illness and disease impart upon us.  These paintings convey the strength of the human spirit when faced with our illnesses, diseases, tragedies and fragilities. They symbolize a celebration of life.

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crystallized testosterone & estrogen 

Both hormones are painted in crystallized forms, with testosterone on the left and estrogen on the right side. This view represents how these hormones look on a microscopic level.

Materials: oil on canvas, size 36” x 48”, original sold.

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mending hearts with digitalis

Ailing hearts receive a touch of digitalis (a.k.a. foxglove), scientifically and medically known to strengthen injured hearts by contracting more forcefully and efficiently. Digitalis is a drug prescribed for weak or failing hearts.

Materials: oil on canvas, 24″ x 36″, $1,166.

helping the helpers

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) suppresses the immune system and is the cause of AIDS.  HIV specifically attacks the ‘helper’ cells or T-lymphocytes that ward off infections.  In the painting, the helper cells are represented by the green images being attacked by HIV (small gray circular images), and the colorful background represent the host of FDA approved drugs prescribed in the treatment of AIDS.

Go to The National Institutes of Health and type in ‘AIDS’ in the Search Health Topic box for more information on HIV and AIDS.  For medical, housing and mental health assistance with HIV/AIDS related condition in the United States, click here

Materials: oil on canvas, 36” x 36”, $1,696.

wounded

A clot forms when the skin or body is wounded (bleeding need not be only a physiological response to injury). Red blood cells, platelets (yellow images), and fibrin (green lines) work together to stop the bleeding and initiate the healing process.

Materials: acrylic & oil on canvas, size 40″ x 30″, $1,590.

stem cell garden

Stem cells, regardless of their source, have three general properties: they are capable of dividing and renewing themselves for long periods; they are unspecialized; and they can become specialized cells. Human stem cells are the “starter” cells that act as precursors of mature body tissues.  All human beings possess ‘starter’ cells that can become specialized cells, including heart muscle cells, blood cells, or nerve cells.

In the painting, the stems are needles and the glittery heads represent individual stem cells.

If the painting looks childlike in technique and appearance…it was purposeful. Stem cells are immature and I wanted to present the painting that way…childlike, innocent, simple. The white glittery circles are the stem cells sitting on top of needles. The sky is expansive to represent their unknown future development into adult cells like red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, cardiac (heart) cells, and nerve cells.

Materials: acrylic & oil on canvas, size 40″ x 30″, $1,590.

screwed

A bone screw is surgically fixed in position for treating a broken left elbow. Bone screws can be used alone to hold a fracture or used in combination with plates, rods, or nails.

Materials: oil on canvas, size 40” x 30”, $1,590.

mitochrondria encounter

The images I visualized while undergoing an MRI in 2003 – mitochondria floating in space.  The colorful amino acid chains were added to show biologic synergy on a microscopic level.

Materials: acrylic on canvas, size 36″ x 48″, $2,332.

Steely Resolve 1

The thoracic (chest) region is the exact image of a woman’s chest x-ray who had breast cancer.  She was treated with Taxol, a drug specific for treating breast cancer and radiation, and then went into remission.  The chest x-ray was taken months after being in remission when the cancer metastasized to T-8 (thoracic vertebrae 8), and is represented by the dark area in the vertebral column.  The circular images represent Taxol.

Materials: oil on canvas, size 30″ x 40″, $1,590.

Steely Resolve 2

This is the same chest x-ray image as “Steely Resolve 1 and Taxol” but is of the person healed.

Materials: oil on canvas, size 40″ x 30″, $1,590.