I have lived with epilepsy since early childhood and have been painting with oils since I was 13 when my great aunt handed me her paintbrush and encouraged me to work on an oil painting she had started. I was hooked. Since then, art has always been a wonderful escape for me. It gave me a sense of inner peace, regardless of where I was in my life. Although I put aside having a career in art to pursue a degree in Special Education and have had over 20 rewarding years working with people with intellectual disabilities, I continued to paint, albeit infrequently. I’m lucky to say that after the past thirteen years of excellent seizure control, getting an M.Ed. in Instructional Design from UMass Boston, I am now pursuing a graduate certificate in Health Communication at Boston University. Despite my aspirations, I’ve kept my love for painting alive.

‘Resilience’ is a gouache painting based on a photo a co-worker took many years ago of a forest in Kyoto, Japan. I was drawn to the simplicity and depth of the forest, as well as the contrast in lighting. I chose the name ‘Resilience’ because it not only reflects the nature of bamboo but it also reflects what a person with epilepsy must have.