the first shots came from the crowd
high into the air
into the smoke and soot
we screamed that we could not breathe
and we were repaid with more shots
more bullets hit our shields
but we would not back down
not even as we were beaten
thrown to the ground as if we were nothing
the shots rang out and we screamed

“I CAN’T BREATHE”

and this time they listened
we were no longer alone
no longer discarded to the streets
we mattered

we matter

all this because we believed
that one day
we would finally be free

This piece was made by using black ink and watercolor on paper. Along with water to dilute the pigments. I used a light pencil sketch to draft out the basic shapes and proportions, then painted over it with diluted black ink also using a black pen to put detail into the eyelashes. Then for the final touches I painted the background with a red watercolor.

While brainstorming what to create for this project, I knew I wanted to make something impactful and current. In the end I decided to paint a young woman with a man’s hands covering her mouth. My thoughts behind this piece were to portray how women are often silenced by men, and in some cases other women, about issues present in society that often affect women. It’s always seemed to be a struggle for women to express their opinions and experiences without someone trying to silence the women that need to be heard. The title of the piece is called “Silenced”