"Artist Battles Back From Cancer"
By John Jaw
Niagara Falls Review

Niagara Falls - Since her year of darkness, Maria Klokkou can't possibly open enough windows.
You can visit the Niagara Falls artist's Lundy's Lane gallery "by chance or by appointment." You can take a stroll
through her lush garden come springtime. If you're an artist, you may even be able to stay in her home - she's
pondering an 'artist retreat' for people to stay awhile and work with her.
Her artwork is getting bigger and in greater demand. New ideas are flowing, thanks to a recent burst of "mental
energy."
Yet, she does all this knowing her world can turn upside down again every three months. That's when she finds
out whether the cancer is really gone.
"The chances are 50/50," she says. "But I'm not scared of it at all."
Early last year, Klokkou discovered a lump on one of her breasts. A visit to the doctor confirmed her fears -
breast cancer, and it was not in the early stages.
She knew it was bad. She didn't want to know how bad.
"I said, 'Don't give me a prognosis, I don't want to know.' Because I'm a strong believer in the mind being very,
very strong through that."
Weeks of devastating chemotherapy sapped her strength. When she returned home, she found solace tending
to her garden. Her painting slowed to a trickle.
A year later, Klokkou is back in form, and she wants to share her newfound energy. Starting next month, she'll
begin teaching twice weekly art classes dubbed "Oil Painting for Beginners." Students will gather at her scenic
gallery Tuesdays from 10:30am to 12:30pm starting March 5 and Thursdays from 7 to 9pm starting March 7.
"I want to work with people," she says. "I had a lot of support (during my illness), and I want to give some
back."
Since she moved to Niagara Falls from England in 1992, friends have been badgering Klokkou to teach art 
classes. While she finds it intimidating, she's eager to help new artists find their footing.
"I like to talk to people," she says. "I love interaction with people, and I've always been able to talk about
my work."
Now a 10-year veteran of the city's art scene, Klokkou feels a part of the community. That bond has grown
stronger since her recovery because she's developed projects to benefit cancer research.
Likewise, her artwork has broadened, becoming more than colours on a canvas. Some of it is "functional art,"
such as a folding door she recently completed. The illness, she says, "made me want to start new things."
And being in a city like Niagara Falls helps. The past year, she has tapped into the city's "energy" more than
ever.
"You're near so much, and it's beautiful in its surrounding areas," she says. "A lot of people who've lived here
all their lives don't appreciate what they've got here."

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