Reflection

I was inspired by the idea that the seas are alive with a spirit of their own as ancient myths believed; the woman in my painting represents this spirit. She is lighting the way out of the pollution of the waters, showing what we humans can do to heal the waters before the damage becomes irreversible. The glowing recycling symbol in her hand represents the hope of recovery, the light that may banish the murkiness of pollution if we follow it. Now more than ever, we need to take action to protect our Earth; reports of rising temperatures and sea levels continue to grow, along with the endangerment of thousands of species. Combined with the growing human population, pollution is worsening. Despite this dire news, I felt hopeful painting this piece because some people are indeed starting to rise to the occasion to protect the environment. Beach cleanups have been initiated, jewelry made of ocean plastic have been sold, and youth have started to rise up to fight for their future, as the School Strikes for the Climate have shown. My piece is intended as a message of hope to viewers that recycling, though often viewed as a small action, is able to make a world of difference to change to seas for the better. With a greater understanding of the issue, I intend to be more involved in attempts to clean up the ocean by joining a beach cleanup and supporting Eco-friendly brands. Notwithstanding the seemingly grim state of the environment, it is not too late to take action to save our oceans and the life that it holds. My piece implores everyone to follow the light so that it may lead us to a brighter, cleaner Earth.