Lovers in the Lilacs*

Modified (Banksied) 'Lovers in the Lilacs,' by Marc Chagall, 1930. Acrylics on a photo. By Banksied I'm referring to Banksy, a British street artist, who clandestinely hung up some modified paintings in museums. They hung there a couple of days before being spotted. What's not to like?

Chagall is one of my favorite painters. I love his colors and the way he lightheartedly portrays love. After I had my left amputation and later reconstruction, my husband and I had a ritual I inwardly called 'le boobie assessment' (pronounced with a French accent), in which my husband-before he went on a trip for work and when he came home-would check out the appearance and healing of my scars and my new breasts. After a while, when healing wasn't so drastically noticeable anymore, we stopped doing that. But to me, and probably my husband, it was important. For me, it was also lighthearted. Lovers, bodies and sex after (breast) cancer ... Quite a delicate topic. I heard my oncologist use the word sex in this context for the first time almost 5 years after my treatment in a talk he gave to us, breast cancer patients. I don't envy his position. How do you approach that fragile topic which undoubtedly has as many shapes and forms as there are patients? For me, lightheartedly works ...
I love how they are lying there between the lilacs, also my favorite spring perfume. So, let me post this piece as my holiday wishing card. There's a stack of snow lying outside, and hopefully, warmly covered underneath, a seed is getting ready for spring.

Happy Holidays!