CANCER PORTRAITS AND FIGURES

[Zlatko Waterman]

Dear Friends:

To commemorate the announcement a week ago by my wonderful oncologist that I am "totally free of disease" as far as cancer goes, I show the following pictures. These were painted when I was diagnosed. The ordeal has lasted several years. Now I celebrate. I have time during my brief wink of a visit to this planet to make some more pictures!

The nudes are part of a "prayer" series I did about a year ago. Some viewers on MySpace were concerned that I was somehow blaspheming by showing a nude in a prayer shawl. The item in question is a dish towel. I asked my model to pick up something for a prop and play with it when I was making the preliminary studies for this series. Only later did I decide the paintings were about prayer.

I will try to post new paintings every month or so . . .

(CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE)

Thanks for looking,

Zlatko

The first picture is called "Undiagnosed" . . .

All paintings:

oil and combined mediums on Arches paper
























Two prayer studies ( from a series)
oil and combined mediums on Arches paper

(CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE)

[Zlatko Waterman]

Here are some more recent images ( Aug.-Oct. 2006), some just completed.

(click on images to enlarge)






CALIFORNIA PAINTER (oil on canvas)






SHELL#2 ( oil on board)






BATHER #4 ( oil on canvas)






BRAD #6 ( watercolor and pencil on paper/ digital frame)






YVETTE ( pencil and watercolor on paper)

[Artguy]

Zlatko in all his living to be an old man glory....great mastry with your figuritive work and damn your false accusers.....

[Zlatko Waterman]

Thank you, sir.

Comments from you always mean a great deal, Artguy.

I'm bound to see some of your archi-works.

Your fellow artist,

--Z

[stilltrucking]

False accusers?

That is an odd remark.

[jimboloco]

YVETTE is definately a prayer
(i'd pray for her definately)

nice series of introspective self-portraits
each one more dismayed
then a kind of breakthru annd calm

i ain't no false accuser
vous j'accuse
you ain't all gouached up just yet
sensing the spiritual in the ordinary

where's my pen?

[petercowlam]

Great news from your oncologist. Hearty congratulations.

I find in all these paintings, and others by you I have seen, a vibrant southern luminosity, which reminds me of what I miss out on here in the north.

Many decades more to your exquisite brush.

[Dave The Dov]

Your portraits are like those of Van Gogh's that showed how he looked through the years of his life.
_________________
Honda CT50 Motra

[Doreen Peri]

Great news! Congratulations! I am very happy for you! You have won the battle! You will be an inspiration to many. (as I know you already are) ... I'm also very happy for us.

Wonderful paintings!

More please!

[judih]

i love the dish towel prayers. Fabulous - very heartrending.
And oh, my god...what a wonderful bit of news. i admit, i needed to wait til today, Saturday, my day off, before i dared to look at this thread. But i'm so happy that i've got this unclouded time to enjoy this series.

i love yvette also - that background pink is exquisite.
And your facial expressions and colourations, brilliant in each of these portraits.
Brad? What's to say about Brad. Superb.

yeah.
glad it's Saturday today.

[whimsicaldeb]

Dear Friends:

To commemorate the announcement a week ago by my wonderful oncologist that I am "totally free of disease" as far as cancer goes,

Yeah!
Wonderful news ~ congratulations!


Oh yes, and your paintings ...

Your paintings ... (let me gather my thoughts, most of time when I view your work I simply feel and don't bother with trying to find words)

To me they seemed to show you moving from shock to anger and then resolve, all with pain that came to a head and spilled over and out to healing vicariously through the beautiful nude with the dish towel prayer shawl and which then left you - the man - still tall and firm in your new found resolve.

[Zlatko Waterman]

Thank you, Deb, for your comments. They seem well thought out, sincere, and intelligent. Those are qualities that imbue all your posts.

Your friend,


--Z

[sooZen]

Zlat...i am late to the party but just want to say Bravura! and wish you the best.

As you may or may not know, our youngest had acute myleocytic leukemia when he was but a child of two (30 now) and underwent three years of spinal taps, bone marrow aspirations and chemo. I founded a support group for parents of children with cancer which survives to this day. I retired in '92 after 15 years of volunteering and paid staff positions to follow my artistic whims and dreams. It has been an amazing journey and i learned an amazing amount about myself and what is truly important in this life. I know you have too, i can see that.

Your art has always touched a chord with me but now it has a new level of experience that shines through...

Congratulations on winning this battle dear Sir.

[Zlatko Waterman]

Thanks for your story, SooZen.

And your good wishes.

Love to all,


--Z

[jimboloco]

I give of myself in thhe cancer unit
bantering
praying
loaning a book now and then

going to a healing tai chi class in a little while
to learn exercises for the debilitated