I created this piece in response to hearing Alex's story of overcoming stage 4 gastric cancer. He was diagnosed with it at the young age of 30 while in the prime of his life. This diagnosis is devastating enough when older but, no one expects it at that age. His story, like every cancer survivor's story, needs to be told and celebrated. When talking with Alex, several images and scenarios that he used in his meditation and visualization struck me. Being in a green forest looking up at the trees, the importance of soccer and the discipline learned from that in his life, the sound of ocean waves and the fact that he let reminder images of what he so feared show up periodically as well. I tried to include as many elements of his healing as possible so we could have a window of sorts into his journey. On the bottom right is the amorphous black blob of cancer. In the middle are hands supporting and carrying him while letting him still walk and run toward the green land in the upper left. The promised land in the upper left also has elements of Zentangle, a meditative art form.I work with encaustic (hot pigmented wax) and other media as needed. In this case, some oil paint, paper and alcohol ink was also used. Shipping rates may apply if unable to pick-up night of the event.">Joshua Johnston, "Every Step of the Way," 12 x 12, Encaustic mixed media

I created this piece in response to hearing Alex's story of overcoming stage 4 gastric cancer. He was diagnosed with it at the young age of 30 while in the prime of his life. This diagnosis is devastating enough when older but, no one expects it at that age. His story, like every cancer survivor's story, needs to be told and celebrated. When talking with Alex, several images and scenarios that he used in his meditation and visualization struck me. Being in a green forest looking up at the trees, the importance of soccer and the discipline learned from that in his life, the sound of ocean waves and the fact that he let reminder images of what he so feared show up periodically as well. I tried to include as many elements of his healing as possible so we could have a window of sorts into his journey. On the bottom right is the amorphous black blob of cancer. In the middle are hands supporting and carrying him while letting him still walk and run toward the green land in the upper left. The promised land in the upper left also has elements of Zentangle, a meditative art form.I work with encaustic (hot pigmented wax) and other media as needed. In this case, some oil paint, paper and alcohol ink was also used. Shipping rates may apply if unable to pick-up night of the event.