Elaine's journey

A year has come and gone since my last post about Chuwy (aka Ghost). Shortly after that post, my mother Elaine Kryzanowski was diagnosed with lung cancer. Since that time, my life has been blessed with incredible moments, people and opportunities for self-discovery. In the next few blogs, I hope to share some of those amazing experiences and lessons.

(this is my mother, Elaine at her last art show..she was 80)


Cancer is one of those diagnosis that sends people reeling..
My mom never smoked a day in her life..but as a young woman, she did work in a small office where she was exposed to 8 hours of second hand smoke. She also worked in a factory, where they used solvents to clean the components they manufactured. Perhaps of greater significance, though, is the fact that my mother, Elaine, grew up in a Canadian paper mill town ..where the air was tainted with particles of commerce generated pollution. Unfortunately, the source of her cancer is and will remain a mystery.

My greatest admiration for Elaine stemmed from her creative talent. Rainy afternoons spent at our cabins morphed into art lessons.

(the cabins my dad and uncle built on Rainy Lake, NW Ontario)



Occasionally, on those rainy days, we talked our mother into drawing paper dolls for us. As the rain dampened the pine needles outside of the cabin doors, we sat cross legged on the wooden floors describing the physical attributes we wanted our paper dolls to possess. With her pencil flying over the paper, my mom transformed our words into elegant models. Once we had our paper dolls, we would spend hours designing outfits for them to wear.
I was always most enthralled with their hands..so lifelike..even down to their fingernails.

My mom was a self taught artist. She believed by studying the techniques used by masters such as Johan Vermeer that she could teach herself how to oil paint when they lived on Seine River, NW Ontario.This is her rendition of that famous painting The Milkmaid


Later when she retired, mom had the time to explore her artistic talents again and for over 30 years, she devoured every aspect of painting.

to be continued....