Artist Peggy Chun, painting while still battling ALS, or Lou Gehrig's Disease, will make a rare public appearance with co-author Shelly Mecum to autograph their book, "The Watercolor Cat," from 2 to 5 p.m. Monday at Barnes & Noble Ala Moana.

Chun is the celebrated watercolorist known for her whimsical art. Over the years she also has explored other media: collage, photography, pastels, oils and acrylics.

Though not paralyzed except for her eye movement, Chun communicates and digitally paints with a computer system called ERICA from Eye Response Technologies, enabling her to continue her creative expression. "After all," she said in a prepared statement, "you don't paint with your hands, you paint with your heart."

"The Watercolor Cat" is a children's book about Chun's life and art told through the eyes of her beloved cat and is hailed as a triumph of the human spirit.