An Edmonton mother hopes this perfect storm will help fulfill her son’s last wish: Music-inspired artwork was how her son expressed himself while battling cancer.
She wants to gift a painting to the pop star who inspired her the most.
Looking back, Lori Groves says days filled with art were the ones her son, Connor Groves, loved the most.
“Connor was a beautiful person, he always had a smile on his face, he always had a joke up his sleeve,” Lori said.
Connor took up this hobby after his twin brother Jack, at the age of 21. They both use the canvas to express themselves.
“They were diagnosed with Fragile X syndrome and autism when they were very young. We were told to institutionalize them because they would never be able to do anything in life,” Lori said.
Music inspired their art. They painted how the songs made them feel, and music opened up a whole new level of creativity for both brothers, especially Connor.
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“He would listen to the song a few times, then choose colors and then create patterns on his canvas. He would just keep listening and moving the painting around and creating his art. It was incredible,” Lori said.
This became even more healing when Connor was diagnosed with colon cancer. His favorite artist, Pink, was always in his voice.
Connor became a fan of her music four years ago and during his battle with cancer, the songs “When I Get There” and “Perfect” really inspired him.
“When he was painting “Perfect” for Pink, you could see what the lyrics meant to her. He would say, ‘Mom, nobody’s perfect and she loves everybody, even when they’re not perfect.’ It just made her feel like she was okay.”
Connor had hoped to give the painting to Pink when she performed in Edmonton on August 31. But on August 5, Connor died while listening to Pink’s “Perfect.”
“That was his last wish. He wanted to meet her and gift her the painting, or to have her come and meet him if he couldn’t go give it to her. He just felt a connection that he wanted to show her,” Lori said.
His family wants to keep Connor’s dream alive and share his art with their idol in any way they can.
“It would have made her life. He just wanted to let her know how special she is and how important she is to him.”
Connor Groves’ painting he created for Pink while he was battling cancer.
Global News
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