TRANSITIONS / COPING

Figurative Testimonials

In June 2003, artist Karen Starrett Belfer was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer. To cope with her cancer experience, she turned to her art, which, she says, helps her process and make visible her hidden emotional journey.

Visually exploring her cancer experience, Belfer used a wax medium mixed with oils that allowed her to incise the paint and reveal the undercoat where she left her mark with writings and prayers.

“I consciously experienced unarticulated emotions as they manifested themselves within my work — and safely experienced my inner self as it emptied its contents onto each sheaf of paper,” says Starrett Belfer. ...

[THIS STORY APPEARS IN FULL IN THE SPRING 2008 ISSUE OF HEAL]