Volume 13

May - 2020

Cover: The Fire Within

The reference for this painting was a trip to the mountains in Utah a few years back with my now fiance. The light from an outdoor firepit lit the surrounding scene beautifully and created a great memory that I wanted to share through painting. I'm currently working on 2 more paintings inspired by the same trip.

Oil on Canvas 24 x 36”

Letter from the Editors:

As the coronavirus continues to stretch across our nation and the globe, we want to continue to thank all of you nurses, physicians, EMTs, paramedics, technicians, and everyone else who is on the front line of this pandemic providing safety and health for the rest of the nation. We wish you all a happy Memorial Day this weekend and hope that you all may find some well deserved rest, time to pursue a hobby or however you best recover both mentally and physically!

We are so excited this issue to include so many varied aspects of oil paintings and more in addition to photography. The amount of talent within our community is staggering as always and we are thankful that we are able to share it with everyone.

Red River Gorge Series

Art is therapeutic in its own right.

The experiences I've had over the years in emergency medicine and the lessons I take from it compliment all areas of my being; I am always learning and growing from them. My art (primarily traditional acrylic on canvas) and my interests across the many disciplines might capture some of the moments on my journey, or reflect upon them. I have found great joy in painting and it has translated positively in all areas of my own life - and hope you can find joy in your own art.

Kupka

Kupka means “bath” in Croatian, my father’s homeland (and as an aside it’s the name of a famous Czech painter who was an early part of the European abstract art movement). This past year has been extraordinary and in a particular and important way we as EM Physicians have had a guts in the face perspective of it all. I’m a sculptor and a painter but I also had a business doing dry dock repairs of commercial and military ships, commercial diving, and high end architectural metal work in NYC. I was shot during a botched attempt at stealing my truck prompting a drive up to the local Brooklyn ED. The Doc was funny and he realized, as did I after wondering if I’d die for a minute, that it was flesh wound to the neck and probably a ricochet to the head. I started volunteering there and 5 years later he talked me into going to Medical School at the age of 43. This piece is about what we’ve all been through, not just this past year, but always. We are constantly at odds with our empathy and our vulnerability, and our almost existential denial of our desire to be heroic because that is a selfish concept and if selfish we’re at the doorstep of narcissism. But we know how to walk that line because we’re needed as much as we need to do this work. We’re important, even if we’re uncomfortably comfortable with that. If it’s only me I’m ok with that. But if you see yourself as the one on the viewer’s right, hovering with a hand in the blood, uninterested or unfazed, you’ll know what I mean.

Oil on Canvas 59x48”

Echoes

This photograph is taken from a hidden trail at Glacier Montana Park. While I sat on the logs to take this photo, I appreciated the moment of peace and solitude where all I could hear were the echoes of my own voice. I went on this trip after my clerkships ended and prior to studying for Step 1. Being surrounded by beautiful, snow-capped mountains and glacier lakes provided me with time to recharge from a demanding clinical year and to reflect on my journey thus far in medical school.

Morning dew

Simple peace and serenity sometimes is all I need in order to get my day started with a new and improved sense of purpose and vigor.

Do you want to see your art shared with the community? Don’t forget to submit today!

Finally, don’t forget to share Art of Emergency Medicine with your colleagues, friends, and family on Twitter or Instagram and like us on Facebook for all the latest news!

This Months Featured Artists:

Greg Zivic, MD

I’m an Emergency Physician. I have an undergraduate degree in Sculpture, a BFA from Ohio State University. I was a practicing artist in NYC from 1981 until I went to Medical School in 2001 at the age of 43 after being shot in the neck and becoming a volunteer at the Brooklyn NY ER that treated me (not a life threatening wound). I had a business for 20 years repairing commercial and military ships in dry dock, as well as commercial diving, and architectural metal fabrication/installation. I’m a sailor and my business partner and I have a media company creating content for TV and YouTube, and own a 50’ aluminum sailboat based in Trinidad.

Jon Gaddis

My name is Jon. Prior to EKU's Emergency Medical Care program, I'd always taken an interest in fine arts. I currently work as a paramedic in the Emergency Department (I'm also a current student), and my sense of peace has always been tied to outdoor pursuits; those interests led me to volunteer as a Wilderness Paramedic for RedSTAR in Kentucky's Red River Gorge - which had been a source of inspiration for some of my more recent artwork. View more of his work Instagram.

Jonathan Dangers, MD

I'm currently an attending physician and associate program director at KU, where I also completed residency training. I started painting just before medical school, gave it up for a few years during residency and then started up again about 4 years ago. Other hobbies include mountain biking and cooking. View more of his work on Instagram.

Jonathan Warren, MD

A PGY-1 at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and founder of Art of Emergency Medicine. His hobbies include photography, hiking, Netflix, and dogs. He’s always on the lookout for the next adventure. Find more of his photography on Instagram.

Keerthi Gondy

I'm an M4 at the University of Michigan applying to Emergency Medicine this fall. I entered medical school with no clear idea what specialty to choose until my close mentors introduced me to EM and I immediately fell in love! I am passionate about medical education, especially end-of-life care in the ED, and resilience/wellness. Outside of medical school, I'm an avid triathlete, nature-lover, and an advocate on climate change and sustainability. I also enjoy creative writing and photography as outlets for creativity and means of recharging from the stress of medical school. Follow more of their work on Twitter or Instagram.

You can learn more about the artists featured in this and other volumes at our contributors page!