Devotion


Ink on Paper

14.25” x 14.25”

Artist/Curatorial Statement


Sun-up, it’s a new day. It’s never too late to be who you want to be; we have the strength to start all over again. Each day you can change or stay the same.

It was morning in Mexico January 19, 2018; the third morning of a family reunion. A seemingly ordinary day, but in actuality it was a day that changed the lives of a whole family. Summer Skye, my lively eleven-year-old princess learned suddenly that she had been living with a time bomb in her head, an AVM [arteriovenous malformation].

With the encouragement of friends and family, but most importantly her doctors and care team in Puerto Vallarta and Vancouver, she was blessed with the opportunity to have her life all over again.

Summer’s strength and determination over the next few months have been extraordinary and she is ready to compete at figre skating again. Getting back to competitive figure skating has been her purpose since the AVM was detected. It’s always been her motivation to get back up when she falls. Only this time she had to do it very slowly, everything’s changed a bit, and so did I.

I’ve created a new artwork for you; it’s my way of showing my tremendous appreciation. Devotion symbolizes a protector for Summer Skye. The serigraph depicts a rising sun, another day; a guardian embraces children in need. This token is a reminder that each new day we can make the best of it, by helping others. We all have the strength to live a life we’re proud of.

Thomas Cannell