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Ensuring Your Safety at PHA 2022
Artfrom the HEART
PHA 2022 International PH Conference and Scientific Sessions in Atlanta will feature an art gallery of works primarily by people with pulmonary hypertension (PH). Three people who participated in PHA 2018’s first art gallery discuss how art helps them cope with PH, the pandemic and other stressors. Bill Kolm of Omaha, Nebraska; Sylvia Bandyke of Royal Oak, Michigan; and Kathy Anderson of Indianapolis; share their stories.
BREAKING OUT THE BRUSHES Bill Kolm dabbled in painting in his teens and 20s but then life got in the way. Forty years later, Bill rediscovered his talent for painting after a chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) diagnosis. Now the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) support group leader paints to relax and create art for his friends and family.
In August 2011, Bill was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer that surrounded his lower spinal cord. Three years of chemotherapy caused blood clots in his lungs. After two years of pulmonologist visits, he was diagnosed with CTEPH, or Group 4 PH.
Bill suffered from shortness of breath and no longer could garden, mow the lawn or do other activities he enjoyed. So he looked for something less stressful to keep himself busy.
“I still had some brushes, so after stocking up on acrylic paint and stretched canvases, I started painting again,” he says. “After a couple of small paintings, I realized I had improved from my early years, so I started using larger canvases.”
Bill joined his local PH support group after receiving a postcard about it. At his first meeting, he learned CTEPH could be cured through pulmonary thromboendarterectomy (PTE) surgery to remove the blood clots. Bill’s doctor sent his case to the University of California-San Diego, where Bill was confirmed as a candidate for PTE surgery. In August 2016, Bill received the surgery.
PTE RECOVERY After returning from San Diego, Bill painted between his daily walks and other hobbies, such as collecting antique tools and editing The Gristmill, the magazine of the MidWest Tool Collectors Association. Bill says he would get lost in his paintings and wouldn’t think about being tired or taking medication.
“The relaxation while painting undoubtedly hastened my recovery from the PTE surgery,” Bill says. “I would walk faster and faster so I could get back to painting.”
Bill enjoys painting landscapes, birds, flowers and butterflies. He references a picture or multiple pictures when painting but adds in details to suit his preferences. During the pandemic, painting has been the perfect activity while spending time at home.
Above: Bill and granddaughter Emily Kazor, discuss progress on his latest painting. Below: Bill plans to submit this painting to the PHA 2022 art gallery. Top: Sylvia with her collage entry for an international art competition in Michigan. Middle: “Hummingbird Rhapsody” photo collage. Bottom: “Daisy Dish #1” photo collage.
GETTING LOST IN ART Bill mostly paints left-handed, but he considers himself ambidextrous because he can do many things with his right hand. Recently Bill had a surgery on the base of his left thumb and no longer could paint left-handed. Bill’s granddaughter, Emily Kazor, an aspiring artist, challenged him to paint with his right hand, so Bill painted a desert scene and was surprised at how well it turned out.
“While painting you get engrossed in your technique, your progress and the results of your labor, and you can lose all sense of time.”
When Bill learned about the PHA 2018 art gallery, he knew he needed to submit his artwork. Bill plans to send a few paintings for the PHA 2022 art gallery in Atlanta.
CONNECTING DURING THE PANDEMIC Like Bill, Sylvia Bandyke submitted her work for PHA 2018. She created photo collages to support her sister Mary Bandyke, who was diagnosed with PH in fall 2015.
From the start, Sylvia accompanied Mary to her appointments at the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor and learned to use the sub-q pump for Remodulin. Around the same time, Sylvia discovered PHA. Today, Sylvia is Mary’s care partner, taking her to appointments and researching information about PH.
Sylvia has been interested in photography since childhood, and Mary is a retired art teacher. Their father, an amateur photographer, bought Sylvia her first camera. The sisters have always shared an interest in art and frequent art museums together.
During the pandemic, Sylvia joined an online Facebook group for artists, and she challenged herself to produce new collages daily. Sylvia shares her work with Mary nearly every day to get feedback. The ritual has allowed the sisters to have fun and bond while spending more time at home.
“The appreciation of my sister, online artists and my friends feels good,” Sylvia says. “I’m almost grateful for the required isolation of the pandemic because it increased my involvement in photography.”
The sisters spend a lot of time with their 100-year-mother. Sylvia visits five days of the week, and Mary is there every day. They care for their mother to avoid using outside caregivers and keep her safe from COVID-19.
SYLVIA BANDYKE
COPING THROUGH COLLAGES To create her collages, Sylvia says she integrates four related images into a cohesive unit and includes a story to describe the collage.
“I find beauty everywhere so the subject matter of my photos can be quite varied,” Sylvia says. “I created many collages with photos taken at my mother’s charming house because I’ve spent so much time there during the pandemic.”
Creating collages has helped Sylvia cope with the pandemic, as well as the stresses that come with being a caregiver for her mother and a supporter for her sister. Sylvia says creating collages puts her into an “almost meditative state of focus and release” when she is working.
KATHY ANDERSON TIME FOR ART Art also has provided an escape for Kathy Anderson from the stress of her pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), CTEPH and the pandemic.
Kathy was diagnosed with CTEPH in 2010 and received PTE surgery in 2012. Within six months after her surgery, her lungs started to clot again, and she was put back on oxygen. In January 2017, Kathy was diagnosed with PAH, too.
Kathy has stopped working since her diagnoses, but she now has time to concentrate on painting. When Kathy’s days opened, she threw herself into her hobby. She enjoys using acrylics and painting landscapes, cartoons and abstracts.
“Abstract painting is the purest form of self-expression as there is total freedom and no rules.”
When the pandemic hit, Kathy was ready with her painting supplies. Her niece graduated from college during the pandemic, and they didn’t get to have a ceremony. As a gift, Kathy painted a portrait of one of her niece’s graduation photos. The portrait took Kathy several months, but it helped make the time fly.
The pandemic also gave Kathy time to develop her technique because she had all the time she needed.
“With painting, there are no pressures, no deadlines and I get to be completely free in my choices. I miss work sometimes, but I enjoy my free time more.”
Submit Your Work for the PHA 2022 Art Gallery
Your paintings, sketches or photos can help raise money for pulmonary hypertension (PH) research and awareness. Submit your work for the PHA 2022 International PH Conference and Scientific Sessions art gallery.
The Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) raises money through sales of artwork submitted by people with PH, caregivers, family members and PH-treating health care professionals. Proceeds support PHA’s mission to extend and improve the lives of those affected by PH.
HOW TO APPLY: Submit a 100-word limit statement about each submission and photos of your work online by April 8. Fill out the form at: surveymonkey. com/r/KQLJLSK.
Ship approved artwork to the Pulmonary Hypertension Association, 8401 Colesville Road, Suite 200, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Artwork shipped directly to the Hyatt Regency Atlanta will not be accepted. Artists are responsible for shipping costs. You must ship your art by May 13.
FORMAT Artwork is limited to photography, paintings (original or reprint) or drawings. Sculpture, ceramics, fabric or mediums other than paper or canvas won’t be accepted. • Weight: Works must weigh less than 5 pounds, including packaging material.
• Dimensions: No larger than 12 inches (height), 12 inches (width) and 3 inches (depth).
RULES All artwork will be considered donations to PHA. Artists must allow PHA to use submitted works to raise money for PHA. Artists won’t receive compensation. Artists must agree to relinquish rights and ownership of the piece. Artwork won’t be returned to the artist.
