Reflection

I have always held a fascination for sea turtles because of their commanding yet quiet presence, which is why I made the giant mass of plastic bottles, cans, bags, and other trash items into the shape of one. Knowing that the garbage we toss into the oceans can render the turtles and other sea creatures powerless is heartbreaking and shameful, and I wanted my artwork to make others feel those emotions. The background is done with airbrush to create the lights and shadows in the water as well as the pollution closing in on the turtle. The various plastic items on the turtle were outlined with Sharpie and colored with Prismacolor markers to make them stand out like they would in the ocean – another reason why they lure the animals. The garbage-made turtle is purposefully trying to swim to the light as a symbol of the effort we are putting in to try and make the world a better, greener place. However, the Sharpie-drawn nets and ropes entangling and pulling the turtle back down show that we still have not done enough since the amount of waste we toss into the oceans and other environments still outweighs the number recycled. The black seaweed, done with acrylic paint, is meant to make the drawing even more melancholy and sinister. This drawing is both a tribute to the sea animals whose lives we have destroyed and a plea to humans to be more conscientious of the world we live in.