UPPER LAKE — The Lake County Wine Studio in downtown Upper Lake is showing colorful, acrylic-on-canvas paintings by Margaret “Peggy” McCamant Alexander, an artist battling a life-altering disease.
Doctors diagnosed Alexander, 64, of Hidden Valley Lake with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in October 2010.
The condition, also known as Lou Gehrig”s disease, “is a rapidly progressive, invariably fatal neurological disease that attacks the nerve cells responsible for controlling voluntary muscles,” according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke website.
Alexander simply describes ALS as “hell. It”s awful ? It is a continuous, ongoing loss of yourself.”
But as she wages her fight against one of the world”s fiercest diseases, she finds relief in something she”s known most of her life: art.
Alexander, who was born in Texas, raised in Seattle and lived for many years in Hawaii, studied painting and earned her degree at the University of Washington.
She moved to the Napa Valley in the 1980s and relocated to Hidden Valley Lake in the late-1990s.
Alexander said her artworks were exhibited in shows and featured in competitions from the ”70s until about 2000. She also spent time working in journalism, management and hospitality.
Her original technique differed greatly from the thick-stroked paintings she developed after ALS symptoms first presented.
“I used to do, did this for years, fairly small, very finely detailed drawings in pencil or in silverpoint,” Alexander said of her previous works, which she described as “scrapbook vignettes” with several related images incorporated into one piece.
She completed those artworks using her right hand ? the body part first affected by her disease in December 2009.
Alexander remembered physicians being initially perplexed about why she had problems gripping with her hand. “Different doctors thought it was carpal tunnel syndrome or a pinched nerve in my neck or arthritis or a mini-stroke or even Lyme disease,” she said.
The Upper Lake showing includes a painting Alexander finished after the preliminary ALS diagnosis came in: “Self-Portrait: This Damned Hand.”
She relied on both hands to complete that artwork but soon shifted to left-handed only. As the disease progressed, she lost the ability to grip steadily with either hand, so she used a wrist brace to hold the brush in place.
The “ALS and Me” exhibition features two series of works.
The first is a group of eight self-portraits depicting Alexander”s reactions to ALS.
“Her paintings educate the public about ALS in a way words can”t, bringing feelings of hardship and hopefulness to life on canvas,” Congressman Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena), who attended a reception at Lake County Wine Studio in early April, said.
The paintings help Alexander release emotions and realize a sense of accomplishment.
“It allows me to face a challenge and succeed,” she stated. “The disease says, ?you can”t do this,” and I say ?oh, yes I can. Just watch me.””
Seven other paintings are part of her “Bucket List” series, which she called a catalog of “places I want to go or that I have gone or things that I have done or want to do.”
Alexander said she”s completed a variety of items from her personal bucket list, including traveling some last summer, reconnecting with old friends, meeting up with family members and even reading Henry James.
The most recent painting, “Bucket List: Self-Portrait with Kate and Hats at Saratoga (dnf),” depicts Alexander and her daughter at the horse track for race day in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
The “did not finish” acronym represents Alexander”s inability to complete the piece, which she said has “a blank spot up in the corner because I could no longer control my hand to finish the painting in that style.”
Another goal of hers was to host an art show — something Annunziata van Voorene, of Hospice Services of Lake County, encouraged and helped organize.
“I am in awe of Peggy and her approach to her disease; she takes each new limitation and manages to find a way to overcome and adapt,” van Voorene, Alexander”s Hospice social worker, said.
In addition to Hospice, Alexander credits the assistance of Lake County Wine Studio, the ALS Association”s Golden West Chapter and the Dream Foundation, an organization that grants wishes for adults with short life expectancies.
The Upper Lake gallery hosted a two-night art and wine reception for Alexander”s paintings April 6 and 7.
“Most of our connections are Napa Valley, Santa Rosa and they had to travel a long way to get there. That was pretty impressive, that we drew from such a wide area,” Scott, Alexander”s husband of almost 31 years, said about the events.
Dr. Bob Gardner, of Hospice and Lucerne Community Clinic, attended one of the evenings and stated, “It was easy to see the pain of her painting upon diagnosis, and it was a pleasure to see paintings on a happier, more positive note.”
The public can view Alexander”s recent paintings and two older, pencil drawings through April 29.
Susan Feiler, owner of Lake County Wine Studio, said Alexander”s pieces make her think “that you can”t live your life as if you can put things off until tomorrow.”
Four of the paintings have sold so far, according to Feiler.
Alexander plans on giving half of the proceeds to the ALS Association and the Forbes Norris MDA/ALS Research and Treatment Center in San Francisco.
As for any future artworks, she said she has some ideas in her head but may have to consider “mouth painting” in order to get them on a canvas.
The disease currently affects her arms, legs, speech and ability to swallow. It has also begun to impact her breathing.
Alexander said she keeps two mottos in mind during her battle: “Never give up” (a phrase that appears on ALS awareness bracelets) and “run until tackled” (her own saying).
For more information about ALS or the effort to find a cure, visit webgw.alsa.org or call 415-904-2572.
To learn more about Alexander”s story, check out her blog at alsandme.blogspot.com.
The Upper Lake studio is located at 9505 Main St. For more information call 275-8030.
