Rose Water Despair

[Scholastic Art and Writing Silver Key]
15 inch x 11 inch Watercolor Paper, Watercolor, Prismacolor Pencils, 2019

‘Rose Water Despair’ conveys the feeling of losing one’s identity when one evaluates themselves with unrealistic and monotonous beauty standards. Red of the hair bleeds out onto the wet ground, contrasting monochrome skin and clothing to literally visualize being bleached of color. The collapsed pose and focus on the slack hand emphasizes the exhaustion, hopelessness, and death of unique self-expression.