Konstverk på Janssen Medical Cloud

Rhonda Fenwick

Through her art, Rhonda has explored psoriasis, a chronic skin disorder she has lived with since the age of six. Art, and working as an artist, has proven to be cathartic and has helped her in coming to terms with living with psoriasis. Rhonda also works as a participatory artist in the community using the arts to bring people together. She has carried out a number of arts projects with a focus on arts in health for the National Health Service in the United Kingdom with a special emphasis in dermatology.

Time is Now I

Time is Now II

Dennis Owen Frohlich, Ph.D

Green Tree Repaint

Dennis was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in the summer of 2007. The disease was particularly fierce, and exactly one year later Dennis underwent three surgeries to remove his colon and construct an internal pouch, known as a J-pouch. Not knowing anyone else with the disease, Dennis began a blog to share his story with others. After realizing the power the Internet has to connect people who have embarrassing, chronic, and incurable illnesses, Dennis decided to pursue a master's degree and Ph.D in mass communication, specializing in health communication. He dedicates his career to advance knowledge about the Internet's role in promoting health and wellbeing.

Dorethey Gorham

Day of the Armada

Dorethey Gorham is a self-taught artist who was born in Fort Hood, Texas. Artistically inclined from a young age, she actively crocheted and crossstitched until the pain of arthritis and degenerative disk disease forced her to give up detailed hand work. In need of a new creative outlet, Dorethey saw a magazine article about folk art in 1995 and was inspired to try her hand at painting. Her work quickly gained a large following and is highly sought after across the United States. Despite her struggles with arthritis, general anxiety syndrome and diabetes, Dorethey’s work speaks volumes about her love of family, friends and the sense of joy with which she lives her life each day.

Leslie "Wren" Vandever

Whooping Crane

Despite a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis in 1987, Wren enjoyed a long and successful career as a graphic artist, newspaper reporter, and editor. In 2006, she started writing an award-winning blog about living well with RA and freelance articles for a variety of health-related internet websites. Both led to her becoming a passionate advocate for RA and chronic pain patients. Wren has always loved creating her art with pen and ink, colored pencils and watercolors. But when her RA finally made gripping her pens and brushes too painful, she adapted, and today uses digital art programs and lightly held stylus instead. Sketching and painting all kinds of animals and birds in different styles gives her joy and makes her laugh every day—her personal recipe for living well with autoimmune disease and chronic pain.

Barbara

Verbloemen (to gloss over)

At age 18, Barbara was diagnosed with severe ulcerative colitis. Because of her disease, her colon had to be removed. One year after having an ileostoma, a surgical operation in which a piece of the ileum is diverted to an artificial opening in the abdominal wall, she had to undergo an ileoanal anastomosis. After two wonderful pregnancies, she was confronted with a volvulus (bowel obstruction) at the age of 40, which resulted in losing her entire small intestine. Since 2007, she has been living on Total Parenteral Nutrition and fluid infusions. Through painting and creating ceramics, she tries to find peace of mind.

Mimi was diagnosed with Idiopathic Arterial Pulmonary Hypertension in 2002, Retinal Vein Occlusion in 2007 and Macular Degeneration in 2011. She had been a painter her whole life, focusing on the natural beauty of the Western landscape in the United States. Her work has been shown in galleries and publications all over the world. When she began to lose her sight, her work became more abstract, intuitive and color forward. As she experienced more physical limitations, her work became less about the landscapes surrounding her, and more about her internal world. Mimi’s painting process was a form of meditation, training her mind to focus and redirect her thoughts. It evolved into a method of stress reduction, self-awareness and acceptance. Mimi passed away in 2020.

Magical Moment in a Park Far, Far Away

Jeremy is a pharmacist living in Belgium. Fueled by a passion for medicine, science, and technology, he has spent the last 15 years at Janssen working on the development of new therapies for patients with Multiple Myeloma. He is driven by a desire to provide answers for urgent medical needs and help patients get back to the activities they love. He started painting more than 10 years ago, self-reflecting and looking to find peace and purpose in his life. Drawing and painting have become essential for him to maintain balance. Magical Moment in a Park Far, Far Away illustrates his interests and inspirations - Asia, calligraphy and ink brush painting, and resilience during difficult times.

Flowers of Hope

Hiba is a pharmacist working in the Janssen Oncology therapeutic area. When her brother was diagnosed with testicular cancer at age 29, she and her family faced complex challenges. “I thought that I was familiar with cancer,” she explains. “I used to hear about patients suffering from cancer and met with them in the hospitals and clinics. But when a person so close to me was diagnosed, I felt lost.” Her brother was afraid and refused to take any medication or undergo surgery. Although she felt weak and broken during this period, she felt compelled to show the opposite and stand strong to motivate him and eventually convince him to be treated. Her brother is now cured. The broken flowers in her painting tell “a thousand stories” about her, her emotions, what she has been through personally, as well as what her country has experienced following the blast in Beirut in 2020. “This painting represents every one of us.”

Mystic Seaport

Jane Kielt was an active world traveler and retired art teacher from southern New Jersey. In 2010, she was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, the same disease she lost her father to only a few years earlier. Jane felt fortunate to have treatment options that had been unavailable to her father, and honored him by staying strong no matter the obstacle. Throughout her life, Jane followed her passion for art. As she lived with Multiple Myeloma, painting had proved to be a significant therapeutic outlet. She loved to get lost in a watercolor and focus on the small details. Jane thrived on living life to the fullest, enjoying every moment with loved ones and surrounding herself with strength. She viewed each day as a gift and had a message for others living with multiple myeloma: “Remember to unwrap the day, enjoy it, stay positive, and stay strong.” Jane passed away in 2020.