{"product_id":"stages-of-growth","title":"Stages of Growth","description":"\u003cdiv id=\"qid_23\" class=\"jfAnswer jfSubmission-answer isFullname\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"sc-bdvvtL eoVZzK jfAnswer-container\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv direction=\"row\" class=\"sc-hKwDye egcdXp jfAnswer-answer-wrapper relative\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"jfAnswer-answer\"\u003eRuth Miladinovic\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"jfAnswer-answer\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"jfAnswer-answer\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eThe echo in time I am choosing to depict is the present, though it has small elements from the past and future. Early 2025, I found out my dad had stage four non-hodgkin lymphoma. This painting captures how I felt in the moment I found out, like I was a little girl again and all I wanted was my dad. However, it also came from a specific moment that stuck with me when we were waiting to find out if the chemo had killed all the cancer. For as long as I can remember, my dad’s pride and joy was his beard, which he used to braid and put in small ponies. He told me that finally his beard was growing back. It occurred to me I never noticed it thinning in the first place. My dad went to chemo every morning, before any of us were awake. He still worked, and cooked, and did physical labour even when he felt more than sick, all for us. It’s only when I looked back at old photos I realised it is true he lost some hair. I feel it reflects the silent struggles, unnoticeable pain and hardships he went through and is going through, and I hope my contribution reaches families and people who are affected the same way we are. This moment isn’t about the loss of hair but the growth of it. It is based on a real photo of me as a baby touching my dads beard, and I chose orange as the background colour whirling around because orange represents warmth and love. Even though the battle is continuous, we live through and beyond it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"qid_26\" class=\"jfAnswer jfSubmission-answer isPhone\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"sc-bdvvtL eoVZzK jfAnswer-container\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMedium: Acrylic Paint\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDimensions: 18\"x20\"\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rising Star Exhibition 2026","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50021630804161,"sku":null,"price":10000.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0501\/0148\/5761\/files\/StagesofGrowthRuthMiladinovic_d0cc2fea-b13f-446b-bc6a-aa0c3167ae3b.jpg?v=1772224061","url":"https:\/\/muskokaartsandcrafts.com\/products\/stages-of-growth","provider":"Muskoka Arts \u0026 Crafts","version":"1.0","type":"link"}