Brave Enough

44” x 44” x 1.5” Flashe, acrylic, coloured pencil on canvas 2025 When you’re floating between The grief and the gratitude, These bittersweet days Are when you must conjure the courage: Not to be perfect, Not to be without fear, Not to be unwavering… But simply to be Brave Enough To keep going. Commissioned by the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation in support of the Doves of Hope 25th anniversary fundraising campaign. Making this piece was an emotional rollercoaster - it's about the bittersweet wave of emotions that arise during a cancer journey. I’ve watched people I deeply care about fight for their health and their futures, and one thing about every cancer journey is the same: it’s hard. It’s scary. It feels long and slow and calls for a superhuman amount of courage and hope. It’s all the emotions, all the time: the anxiety of the unknown, the gratitude for the support from others…the fear of what comes next that’s delicately balanced by the hope that comes with enduring treatment. It’s a lot. And it’s all at once. And that’s what this painting is about. In Brave Enough, you’ll notice a combination of abstracted imagery - my interpretation of what emotions “look” like, alongside symbolic imagery: A whirlwind of lines and paint swirl together as our thoughts race with uncertainty. A calming blue gradient stands as a reminder of the steadiness of breath, the transition of one emotion into another. Lotus flowers represent hope: these delicate blooms grow out of mud, rendering an unexpected scene of murky waters into a landscape of colourful beauty. The forget-me-nots are self-explanatory, some clusters are more visually prominent, while others are depicted softly ghosted, fading into the distance but still here, never gone. The brass-frame elevator doors from the PMH first floor are a portal to healing, bursting with light, proudly guarded by a solitary dove. The hospital facade can be mistaken as an intimidating structure, but a closer look shows the windows are bursting with hope - the same pink as the elevator portal, a reminder that all journeys appear daunting at first but emotions can change depending on one’s perspective. More info about this product: This painting is stretched on 1.5" gallery profile wood stretcher bars and is ready-to-hang with stainless steel mounting hardware. It was commissioned by the Doves of Hope campaign that has uplifted spirits, honoured loved ones, and filled Princess Margaret Cancer Centre with messages of hope and inspiration. To celebrate their 25th anniversary, the PMCF took this campaign to new heights by inviting Canadian artists—each touched by cancer in some way—to reimagine what Doves of Hope means to them, and bring that vision to life in bold, new ways. To acquire this piece in support of cancer research funding, please contact the PMCF here. *This is an original painting by Tania LaCaria, there is only one in the world.