I started painting during the recovery phase from brain surgery. This was around September 2018 which was month after the surgery. It was at this point when I needed something to keep my mind distracted from the “what ifs” surrounding the recovery and the post traumatic experiences from major surgery. My art materials had been stored away for about 20 years since my days at art college!
At the time, I was reading Street Cat Named Bob so this became my very first painting. The story resonated well with me as I was going through the early stages of the recovery at the time. James Bowen’s songs as a busker were based on never giving up on hopes and dreams. These were very appropriate and what gave me the inspiration to start my art blog. I always semi-joked about writing a book one day but the painting was a lot more fun!
Seahorses
It took four years of testing to pinpoint the area of the brain where the seizures were coming from. In July 2018 I had my right hippocampus and temporal lobe removed. This was where the scar tissue was located and the seizure activity originated from, The hippocampus, which is a seahorse-shaped part of the brain is responsible for short term memories. By removing this the doctors envisaged that it would stop the seizures. It has been successful so far.
My seahorse paintings represent the daily fight facing epilepsy and surgery “warriors”.
