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Surgery Excerpt from Patty's Story Artist Comments -Bonnie Van Moorlehem

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Painting 7 - Patty’s Story
“Spinning Out Of Control”
30” x 40”, acrylic on canvas

 

“The doctors told my parents to put me in an institution.  The only other choice was to try brain surgery where they would remove the damaged part of my brain.  This was a risky surgery and not many had been done before.  My parents choose the surgery, knowing this was the only way I could have a chance at having a decent life.  They couldn’t bear to put me in an institution."

--excerpt from Patty's story

 

 Painting No. 7, Spinning Out Of Control-- represents the realization that something had to be done for Patty’s safety and her quality of life.  Patty started to suffer seizures since her early teens and the severity of the seizures increased until she was seventeen years old.  The family was stressed from not being able to help Patty control her seizures since medication no longer worked. 
     Often when we came home from school, the siblings would give our Mother a break by taking turns sitting with Patty, who now seemed to be in a constant seizure.  Her left hand would wave wildly around and we would try to help her control it so she would not hit her own face.
     Our parents made the decision of surgery, which was the only way that Patty had any chance for some quality of life.  Our parents headed for the Mayo Clinic with Patty.
     Spinning Out Of Control represents this turning point by a shape of a flower but with black and red colors representing the fear of the surgery and the fear of the unknown.  The petals of the flower are twisted in the center and some have separated from the center.  It was a time of feeling like everything was coming apart, of trying to keep Patty with the family, but feeling as though she was starting to slip away.

Painting 8 - Patty’s Story
Observation
40” x 30”, acrylic on canvas

“During the surgery, the doctors must have had some problems.  The doctors must have almost lost me a couple of times.  I remember I was in this big tunnel all by myself.  I had a whole new body and for those few minutes, there was nothing wrong with me.  It was so peaceful in the tunnel.  I was watching the doctor’s work on my old body.  I seen myself laying there sleeping.  I was wondering what the doctors were doing to my old body.  I could see my own brain cells.  There were pink and had white lines going across my brain.” 

--excerpt from Patty's story

 Painting No. 8, Observation -- On January 20, 1970  Frank W. Sharbrough, M.D. and her surgeon Doctor MacCarty at the Mayo Clinic performed Patty’s surgery. 
The Painting, Observation reflects what Patty has told us she saw during her surgery many years after it happened.  Patty said she waited many years to tell the family because she didn’t think we would believe her.
      The purple shape in the upper left hand corner represents Patty watching her surgery up in the corner of the surgery room.  The bent figure is doing the same thing.  The surgeons are removing the damage part of her brain that was damaged from the encephalitis.

Painting 9 - Patty’s Story
A Vision
40” x 30”, acrylic on canvas

"In the next instance, I was in another place.  I saw a blue mountain with angels that were standing on top.  They called my name.  I could see a bright light and it was beautiful.  It was a beautiful experience to go through.  The next thing I knew, I must have returned to my old body, since I no longer could see or hear anything.  Before I went for a visit to see what heaven was like I was scared of dying.  Now I am not scared of dying anymore.  Heaven is a beautiful place to be when your time is up.  Now I know when I die I won’t have to be scared.  My worries will be over and I will be at peace.  When I had this vision, I could feel no pain.  My left hand was healed.  I had a healthy new body.  It was so peaceful.  I had no worries."

--excerpt from Patty's story

 Painting No. 9 A Vision -- was one of two paintings that was the most challenging me to paint.  How do you ever capture or measure up to someone's vision of heaven and not have it come off cheesy or an art cliché?  This painting is the one that I consulted with Patty the most.  Patty was so wise with her answers to me.  I asked her how many angels were in her vision.  She told me there were many angels but does it really matter?  So often with the paintings, Patty was light years ahead of me and made me realize what mattered and what did not.  When she would respond to me in this way, she seemed out of her element and she amazed me.
     Patty's vision of heaven, came about when I asked Patty what colors she recalled from her vision.  I asked her about the hills and she told me very firmly that they were not hills but huge mountains. When I asked Patty for the colors of this vision she hesitated as if she thought I would not believe her.  Expecting to hear luscious shades of green, she watched for my reaction when she said to me, 'the mountains were blue.' 
     For this painting, I took the upper part of angel wings to shape the forms of the mountains.  I made them a darker blue to form a sense of that it is dark on our side to create a border between life and death with the heavens glowing in the distance.  I placed the three angels, an odd number that I use as an artist for visual reasons.  I feel with the mountains being made up of angel wings, it signifies the feeling that there are many angels at the gates of heaven.
     The best moment for me was when Patty saw this painting and she smiled and said she liked it.  I said to Patty that I know it was not what she had actually seen and she replied to me, "It is different but how could you know, you never experienced it."  She told me when she looks at the painting it makes her think of her vision.  Her approval of this painting meant much to me.

 

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e-mail: bonnievm@mvtvwireless.com © Bonnie Van Moorlehem 2006