ARTritis

"Hands Frozen in Time" by Aislinn

2009-08-26T22:22:00.000-07:00

Title: Hands Frozen in Time
Media: Mixed media
Artist: Aislinn
Age: 12
Type of arthritis: Dermatomyositis

Special note: Hands Frozen in Time was selected for display at The Arthritis Society's 2008 Bluebird Gala celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Society.

2009-08-15T21:15:00.000-07:00

Artist: Joel
Age: 14

Stick Together

2009-08-15T21:07:00.000-07:00

Title: Stick Together
Media: Fingerpaint
Artist: Jalisa
Age: 10
Type of Arthritis: Lupus
Artist's Statement: When I am struggling everyone is there to support me.

Letting it Free

2009-08-15T20:59:00.001-07:00

Title: Letting it Free

Media: Tempura Paint

Artist: Shaelyn Chase

Age: 14

Type of Arthritis: Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

Artist's Statement: This painting is about letting go of the pain and expressing what's been locked inside for many years. It's snowing what I have given up because of the disease.

Black and White

2009-08-15T20:51:00.000-07:00

Title: Black and White

Media: Fingerpaint

Artist: Cody

Age: 13

Artist's Statement: The black represents my battles and difficulties of arthritis and the white foot is my strong spirit pushing me through these trials.

The Hole in My Heart

2009-08-15T20:43:00.001-07:00

Title: The Hole in My Heart
Media: Tempura Paint
Artist: Blake
Age: 16

Nature's Beauty

2009-08-15T20:32:00.000-07:00

Title: Nature's Beauty
Media: Felt pen
Artist: Jalisa
Age: 10
Type of Arthritis: Lupus
Artist's Statement: In this picture you realize how pretty nature actually is.

Coloured Feet

2009-08-15T20:22:00.000-07:00

Title: Coloured Feet
Media: Tempura Paint
Artist: Hannah Cespregi-Staples
Age: 8
Type of Arthritis: Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
Artist's Statement: Sometimes my feet hurt

Sunny Night

2009-08-15T20:14:00.000-07:00

Title: Sunny Night
Media: Finger Paints
Artist: Hannah Cespregi-Staples
Age: 8
Type of Arthritis: Juvenille Idiopathic Arthritis
Artist's Statement: If bad things happen you must live on.

"Trapped Under the Sky" by Aislinn

2009-08-10T23:24:00.000-07:00

Title: Trapped Under the Sky
Media: Watercolour on paper
Artist: Aislinn
Age: 12
Type of arthritis: Dermatomyositis
Artist's statement: "What I saw while lying under the tree at my house while on prednisone."

Special note: Trapped Under the Sky was one of three works of art featured on ARTritis Holiday Cards in 2008.

"Fun Time Fire 2008" by Vanessa

2009-06-14T19:04:00.000-07:00

Title: Fun Time Fire 2008
Media: Watercolour on paper
Artist: Vanessa
Type of Arthritis: Arthritis

Special note: Fun Time Fire 2008 was selected for display at The Arthritis Society's 2008 Bluebird Gala celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Society.

"My Testimony" by James

2009-06-14T18:07:00.000-07:00

"My Testimony" (pdf file) by James

Title: My Testimony
Media: Mixed
Artist: James
Age: 24
Type of Arthritis: Central Nervous System (CNS) Lupus

"Abstract" by Jasmine

2009-06-14T18:01:00.000-07:00

Title: Abstract
Media: Watercolor on paper
Artist: Jasmine
Type of Arthritis: Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis

"God's Lovely Sunflowers of Hope" by James

2009-05-13T21:23:00.000-07:00

Title: God's Lovely Sunflowers of Hope
Media: Acrylic
Artist: James
Age: 24
Type of Arthritis: Central Nervous System (CNS) Lupus
Artist's statement: "Don't feel despair and hopeless because you have a sickness or barriers. When you look, I am sure you can find hope around you. I describe hope as sunrises, you can find it everyday and everywhere. That is what I want to bring through my painting, HOPE which the world is urging for. When you are lost, turn to God and pray to Him, ask Him. It is God who tell me my purpose and give me hope living as a cheerful young man even when I still have my barriers from my sickness, CNS lupus."

2009-03-15T22:02:00.000-07:00

Media: Clay
Artist: Shaelyn Chase
Age: 13
Type of Arthritis: Idiopathic Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis
Artist's statement: "My hand sculpture shows how I have JRA in my hand. My handprint is just how it changes and the frankenstine is about how my arthritis scares me."

2009-03-09T21:33:00.000-07:00

Media: Clay
Artist: Jasmine Fuladi
Type of Arthritis: Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis
Artist's statement: "You can sorta see the Arthritis in my joints."

"Lupus does not have me" by Charlene

2009-02-15T18:16:00.000-08:00

Lupus does not have me

It certainly does not. After 3 flares, a stroke, 4 seizures, 4 blood transfusions and 6 rounds of chemo, life for me still goes on.

Because I have lupus, but lupus does not have me.

I’m often mistaken for being lazy, uninspired. If only people knew it takes 15 medications to start my day.
Others ask me, “how do I do it?” I tell them I have no choice, I’m not dead yet”.

When I’m faced with a challenge, I brush it off and tell myself, “It’s nothing, I’ve been through worse things before”.
Like learning to walk again, losing my hair. Being stuck in a hospital room, where life carried on outside my window while death hovered over me as I slept at night.

They told my family I had a 50% chance of survival, yet I live to tell the tale.

How you may ask?

Because I have lupus, but lupus does not have me.

Despite having lupus, I am many things. I am a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a student, a co-worker, a friend, a violinist.

Someday I will be a mother, a wife, a teacher, a university graduate.
Now and forever, I hope I am an inspiration.

Because I have lupus, but lupus does not have me.

---

Title: Lupus does not have me
Writer: Charlene
Age: 26
Type of arthritis: Lupus (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus)

Writer's statement: In the [preceding] piece I express my thoughts and experiences living with Systemic Lupus, especially in the past 6 years, when the disease has become more severe and difficult to manage. As editor for Get in the Loop (online newsletter for young Canadians with lupus), we often look for submissions that are uplifting and inspiring, but I realize that for some, their experiences with lupus can be quite dark and hopeless. I tried to show a balance between despair and hope, between setbacks and triumphs, between the sad reality of lupus and the challenge of accepting that reality. Enjoy.

Special note: "Lupus does not have me" was selected for display in Vancouver at The Arthritis Society's 2008 Bluebird Gala celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Society.

ARTritis Greeting and Holiday Cards

2009-02-14T17:22:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone who purchased holiday cards in support of ARTritis and arthritis awareness!

Our 2008 Holiday Card Campaign is over now, but stay tuned for 2009!

Please send any questions or comments to: ARTritisProject@gmail.com. Thank you for your support and interest.

"Untitled" by Chuchu

2008-11-06T11:30:00.000-08:00

Media: Clay
Artist: Chuchu Jiang
Type of Arthritis: Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis

Artist's statement: "This totem pole symbolizes how I have Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis and how the doctors at Camp Capilano have helped me through this time. Camp Rocks!"

"A New Outlook" by Kadi

2008-10-26T21:11:00.000-07:00

Title: A New Outlook
Media: Watercolour on paper
Artist: Kadi
Age: 20
Type of arthritis: Polyarticular Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

Artist's statement: "The painting is basically my battle with arthritis, the fire is my passion for gymnastics, along with the anger and heat that comes with arthritis. The black clouded hand is my most affected joints as well as represents the pain. I included a gymnast because gymnastics was my life before I was diagnosed. The blue green in the background is my new outlook after fighting this disease."

Special note: A New Outlook was selected for display at The Arthritis Society's 2008 Bluebird Gala celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Society.

Arthritis Resources

2008-09-13T22:42:00.000-07:00

After you've explored ARTritis, check out these other online resources for people with arthritis:

The Arthritis Society - The Arthritis Society is Canada's only not-for-profit organization devoted solely to funding and promoting arthritis research, programs and patient care.

Just for Arthritis Kids - A pilot project of The Arthritis Society and the Pediatric Section of the Canadian Rheumatology Association. Whether you're a child or teen with arthritis, or a parent, relative, friend or teacher of a child with arthritis, we invite you to learn more about arthritis in children.

Get in the Loop - Get in the Loop is a new publication for youth with lupus that strives to connect young people across Canada who are living with this disease. It is organized and published by young people with lupus, in conjunction and with the support of Lupus Canada. The opinions expressed in Get in the Loop are in no way a substitute for advice from medical professionals.

But You Don't Look Sick - ButYouDontLookSick.com magazine is about living life to the fullest with any disability, invisible disease, or chronic pain and hopes to provide answers to the endless questions of: But you don't look sick? Visit butyoudontlooksick.com for great articles, message boards, and the web's best "Get Well Gifts" store.

Share Your Experience!

2008-08-09T23:43:00.000-07:00

Do you have rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, ankylosing spondylitis, or another form of arthritis?

Are you 13-29 years old?

Would you like to share your experience with other young people?

Submit your artwork and stories to ARTritis!

If you submit your writing or artwork for the online collection by September 10, 2008, you'll have a chance to have your work displayed at The Arthritis Society's 60th Anniversary Bluebird Gala in Vancouver.

All submissions received by September 10th will automatically be considered for the Gala. Exceptional pieces will be selected for the Gala based on merit and creativity, with the artist/writer's age taken into consideration.

Submissions for the online collection will be accepted on an ongoing basis and will not be subject to the Gala selection criteria. See the submission guidelines for more information.

Contact

2008-08-09T18:09:00.000-07:00

Questions? Comments? Suggestions?

Contact us at ARTritisProject@gmail.com.

About ARTritis

2008-08-08T01:35:00.000-07:00

What is ARTritis?

ARTritis is a collection of art and writing created by and for young people with arthritis about their experiences with arthritis.

Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, the ARTritis team is an enthusiastic group of young people, most of whom have some form of arthritis themselves. ARTritis is a volunteer-run project produced with support from The Arthritis Society, BC & Yukon Division.

What are the objectives of ARTritis?

To provide a means by which young people with arthritis can express themselves creatively
To create a freely accessible and dynamic resource that helps young people with arthritis, caregivers, health care workers, and friends of those with arthritis better understand others’ experiences with the disease

Why a collection of poetry, art, and other creative forms?

Poetry and art allow us to express what we cannot adequately communicate in sentences and paragraphs
Many people find comfort in creative expression to cope with arthritis
Visual art and creative writing are sometimes more easily understood by a wider audience

Project History

ARTritis was started in 2005 by Patrick Lee and Melanie Au. It was originally started to help fill a gap in resources for young people living with lupus, a type of arthritis. Since then, ARTritis has evolved into an exciting youth initiative encompassing all forms of arthritis.

After a lot of planning, hard work, and help from many people, the ARTritis website was launched in August 2008.

Tips on Photographing Your Work

2008-08-06T00:47:00.000-07:00

If your art is not already a digital image, you will have to scan it or take a photo of it with a digital camera to submit it to ARTritis. Here are some tips on photographing your artwork.

Place white paper or a white bedsheet or pillowcase behind/under your art to provide a neutral background for the photo
For 2-D artwork, try to keep the camera centered and level with the center of the drawing or painting
Photographing your work in good indoor lighting or outdoors may provide better results
Avoid casting shadows across your artwork or placing your work in the shadow of other objects

Submission Guidelines

2008-08-05T23:32:00.000-07:00

ARTritis invites submissions of the following:

Drawings
Paintings
Poetry
Short prose
Photography
Sculptures
Letters/diary entries
Collages
Other written and art forms (please contact us if you have questions about the eligibility of your work)

All submissions received by September 23, 2009 will be considered for the Arthritis Society Gala in Vancouver and Christmas greeting cards. After Sept 23, submissions will still be accepted on an ongoing basis for the online collection.

Artists and writers must:

have a form of arthritis (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, ankylosing spondylitis, etc)
be 13-29 years old

All works submitted must:

express or relate to your personal experience with arthritis (writing describing life events should be episodic or anecdotal and not recount an entire life story)
be original; previously published works will be accepted
be no longer than 750 words
not be pornographic, hate literature or libelous

How to submit your work:

Art submissions

If your work is not already a digital image file (.jpg, .gif, .png), please scan your drawing or photograph your art using a digital camera (click here for tips on how to photograph your work).
Name your image file in the following manner: YourName_Title.jpg. For example if you are "Jane Smith", submitting a painting titled "Arthritis", name your image: JaneSmith_Arthritis.
Download, print, and complete the ARTritis Consent and Release Agreement.
Email the digital image and completed consent form** to ARTritisProject@gmail.com along with your name, age, type of arthritis, and province/country of residence. Also include the title of the work, medium used (e.g. watercolour, acrylic, collage, etc.), and a brief description of how your artwork relates to your personal experience with arthritis (maximum of 100 words).

Written submissions

Save your writing in a Microsoft Word file and name the file in the following manner: YourName_Title.doc. For example if you are "Jane Smith", submitting a poem titled "Arthritis", name your file: JaneSmith_Arthritis.doc.
Download, print, and complete the ARTritis Consent and Release Agreement.
Email the .doc file and completed consent form** to ARTritisProject@gmail.com along with your name, age, type of arthritis, and province/country of residence. Also include the title of the work and a brief description of how your writing relates to your personal experience with arthritis (maximum of 100 words).

** We are working on a regular mail or fax option for those of you who cannot scan your completed form to send electronically.