Reflection

Reflection

As a student, climate change is a topic that I have heard a lot about, but I didn’t know that climate change affects me so directly until I researched more about it. I discovered that climate change affects biodiversity and causes rising sea levels that put cities near sea level at risk of flooding. For example, Mumbai in India is endangered by rising sea levels. A lot of my extended family members live in Mumbai, and they, especially my grandma, mean a lot to me. Finding out that they could be directly affected made me motivated to bring about change. After this realization, I found myself imagining a future where my grandma’s house was flooded, which formed the scene I painted. When creating this piece, I tried to imagine a real room of the house and how it would look underwater. I imagined how the dressers would be covered by sand and fish would swim past the mirrors. I imagined how the curtains would be suspended in the water and how bleached coral would litter the floor. This is the largest watercolor painting I have done, and I learned new techniques and improved my skills while painting it. By connecting myself to the issue of climate change, the subject mattered more to me. I hope that my art makes viewers care more about climate change by connecting the issue with something they can relate to. Ultimately, I want my art to drive positive change for the future.