Shain's Way
36" x 48" Oil on Canvas
Private Collection, New York
Copyright 2003
www. Janai-Ami. net > Imagery > Landscapes

My next door neighbor Shain needed life-saving surgery. I assured her that this next surgical procedure would be a 'piece of cake.' Her cancer was far more aggressive than mine had been. She faced this latest adversity with a mixture of courage and humor and grace. That was Shain's way. That was the path she chose. She was tired, and after my pep talk had lifted her spirits, I left and returned home.

And I sat in front of a blank canvas and wept. The surgery was just another step in this cancer fight, but it was the one step that would rob Shain of her chance of having any of her own children. The memory of my own surgery and the loss it brought with it was still raw - and I began to paint while the tears continued to flow. It is no accident that the flowers in the painting were all pinks and blues. And shortly thereafter Shain's Way was born.

We headed down to the Don O 'Melveny Gallery on Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood (Los Angeles, California) for the Opening. Shain knew that I had a painting in it, and she was just beginning to recover from her surgery. She had not seen my finished simple painting, a lovely little path lined by flowers. She came out to support me. And when she looked down and saw the painting title, I saw a smile spread across her face for the first time in weeks. Of course, that was her way.