This is a portrait of my boyfriend (soon to be husband) taking care of me after my life was changed literally over night by adult onset Still's disease. (Still's disease is an auto-immune disorder that causes inflammation of the joints, muscles, skin and internal organs.) I woke up one morning and was in so much pain I could not roll over in bed. I felt like I had the flu and the joint and muscle pain was phenomenal. It took months to diagnose and even more months before the treatment kicked in and reduced the pain. But I feel very lucky. Thanks to a great doctor, a fabulous finance (who was 100% supportive) and loving family and friends I made it through almost two painful years. Today I live with little pain and function almost like my old self. I have had to give up being a massage therapist for now and probably no more jogging ever. But I can walk and dance and still do my artwork. I am even throwing on the potter's wheel which is something I could only dream about when I was sick.
I'm glad that your drawing was as a finalist in the APF exhibit online. It's authentic to the topic, and gives a feeling for what you've experienced. Thanks for sharing it with all of us. Sometimes these images seem like a stretch for the topic, but yours didn't, and I appreciate that immensely. I'm also glad that you are feeling much better.
Thanks for posting a comment. It was therapeutic to create this piece and record the history of what I was going through. It's great to know that people are responding to my work.