The Healing Power Of Play

Larkspur-Corte Madera editor Derek Wilson writes a column called "Tick Tock..Time of My Life" that chronicles his days living with Stage 4 carcinoid cancer. Here's his latest entry.

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Now in his 70s, Joseph still has the spirit to hike on the beach, but exhausted by chemotherapy his body won't let him jump out of his wheelchair. Joseph stops for a minute in the entryway of the Marin Cancer Institute and stares at a painting of young children drawing with chalk on a sidewalk and lets a tired smile crack across his face.

"Just like my grandkids," he whispered with a chuckle.

Sometimes laughter really is the best medicine.

The theme, "The Art of Play," runs through the collection of impressionist paintings by artist Kathleen Lack, whose artwork will be featured at the Gail Van Dyke Atrium Gallery through April 6.

The mission of the gallery in the Marin Cancer Institute on South Eliseo Drive in Greenbrae is to offer "cancer patients, staff and the community healing art to help inspire feelings of tranquility and hope. Art that can buoy the human spirit serves to complement traditional Western approaches to medical treatment."

Play can take on many forms, as Lack shows. "The Decorators" is a serene scene of young girls playing with a dollhouse. How many of us as children used a sidewalk as our canvas, jus as the girls do in Lack's "Chalk Drawing." "Sevilla" shows the intensity and passion of Latin dance, while music is another constant theme in Lack's art.

"I had the theme going through the show of playing and making sure people got the message to think positive, always enjoy every day," Lack said, surrounded by loving and contemplative looks from the many portraits in her workspace at Studio D of the Marin Museum of Contemporary Arts in Novato.

Lack started her formal training in the arts at Indian Valley College after raising her daughters through their teen years. Her loose, unfettered brush strokes are inspired by John Singer Sargent, who eloquently captured moments in people's lives.

"I'm always learning from other artists, even from my students," said Lack, who leads regular classes at the Hamilton facility.

Her family is a frequent inspiration in Lack's art. Her daughter can be seen caring for a horse. Her playful grand-nieces are a source of joy for Lack.

All of Lack's work takes on a familiar, even personal, feeling that envelopes anyone who spends time looking at them.

One of Lack's most personal paintings was also the most difficult for her to put onto canvas. A wild-haired figure stands to the far left, in total disbelief, a reflection of Lack's emotions after she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004. The timeline portrait continues with images of exhaustion and determination. She dealt with sickness, exhaustion, and recovered from a mastectomy. On the far right of the canvas is a proud, victorious image of a woman who has beaten cancer.

"That's the way I felt, on the left, just total shock, then they put all those poisons in you and get rid of it," Lack said. "It's just part of the process, I know, but when I started painting it, it was very emotional. … It was really hard to paint it. I'd start painting, then start crying."

Lack fought cancer with chemotherapy, Chinese herbal medicines from doctors at the Arizona-based Pine Tree Clinic, exercise and a positive attitude.

"My husband was so supportive. He was visualizing with me every night before we went to bed. Just total visualization of what your body is going through and what you have to do to make your body fight it," Lack said.

"I kept a log so that I could look back on it later and see what was going on, which is hard to do because you want to forget those things," she continued. "I think the positive input, keeping a positive outlook is really important."

NOTE: The Marin Cancer Institute is hosting a demonstration of healthy cooking, "Winter Comfort Foods: Stocks, Stews, Soups & Slow Cooking" on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 5-7 p.m. The fee is $35. Call 1-888-99-MY-MGH (1-888-996-9644) to RSVP.

For more information on cancer and carcinoid cancer, consider these sites:

Carcinoid Cancer Foundation

Caring for Carcinoid Foundation

Carcinoid Cancer Awareness Network

Carcinoid.com

Stanford Medicine Cancer Institute

Cedars-Sinai Hospital, Los Angeles

Marin Cancer Institute

University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland

Jimmy V Foundation

American Cancer Society