Reflection

Reflection

In 2025, with the ocean awareness theme “Connections to Nature: Looking Inside, Going Outside,” my yarn and color pencil artwork hits hard. Inspired by the harsh reality of fin whales being pushed to the brink of endangerment due to overhunting gives me the idea. I aim to use art to raise awareness of their plight. It’s disheartening that so many disregard our one and only Earth, especially the oceans. People overhunt animals and dump nuclear sewage into our shared environment, and this makes me feel both frustrated and driven. Those fin whales, crafted with such care, are these huge, vital parts of the ocean’s heart. They’re keystones of the marine world, and we’ve been ignoring how crucial they are for far too long. But here’s the ugly truth: nuclear sewage pouring into the seas and humans hunting non - stop have sent fin whale numbers crashing. That ship in the piece? It’s us, stepping into nature, but also a symbol of the harm we cause—like those red bits that scream out the threats we’re imposing. The wool in the picture? It’s just like their home, all tangled up by our actions. We’re choking these whales, letting them slowly suffocate and die. Yarn, this simple, earthly stuff, pulls us right into the scene. It links our urge to create with nature’s beauty, but also forces us to face the mess we’ve made. This art isn’t just pretty pictures. It’s a wake - up call. It tells us we’ve got to look deep into the ocean’s mysteries, feel its heartbeat through art, and then get out there—act, speak up, take care of things. It’s tying our inner respect for nature to the urgent need to protect these seas and the amazing life in them. We can’t just stand by; we’ve got to make a change, for the fin whales and the whole ocean.