This is the first painting in a series that uses incised hardboard supports to capture the hidden damage inflicted by chronic illness upon the artist’s daughter. The largely invisible nature of Izabel’s illness leaves most people unaware of the amount of rest and medication that she requires to get through an average day. The chunks removed from the hardboard painting support reference the amount of time and the beloved activities that have been lost out of her life. The shadows and light cast by Venetian blinds across her face symbolize the fluctuations in health that are normal for her. Despite this, she is a socially active and ambitious girl, so the rich, lush colours favoured by 18th century portrait artists are used to radiate through the darkness that shadows her. In touching upon the art of past centuries, the artist is deliberately provoking a comparison between the vibrant art culture of that time and its primitive medical realities. Had Izabel been born centuries ago, she would not have made it past her 20th birthday.