I am a 7-year breast cancer survivor. What was supposed to be a very simple and routine double mastectomy went horribly wrong, resulting in 12 reconstructive surgeries and almost 2 years of recovery. I began making unique wire bonsai trees during my recovery. I got the original idea from a wire bonsai tree my great-grandmother made in the early 1970s. I needed something to keep my head and hands busy. The pain of all the surgeries and healing problems made my recovery very difficult. Creating wire bonsai trees saved my life!
I begin with a single 45-foot spool of copper-coated wire, turning every branch by hand. I then add a complementary array of beads and fix it to a base using additional wire. The base of my trees are driftwood, amethyst, crystals or unique stones. I also make tree of life dream catchers, and tree of life wire bonsai wall art. I hope this provides an inspiration to others who are enduring the journey of cancer and its treatments.
See more of my art at Facebook/beansbonsai.
