Coping

This piece explores the complexity of coping and how we manage our inner worlds through external outlets. The figure, with eyes gently closed, is caught in a moment of releasing and letting go, exhaling smoke like an offering to the silence. It's about finding stillness in the storm, a breath that softens the weight. The blue outline serves as a quiet barrier of protection, a boundary of safety wrapped around the figure. In contrast, the orange background evokes a quiet kind of grief with vertical streaks that represents tears, pain, and emotion held just beneath the surface. The jewelry symbolize the way we "dress up" our struggle, making it palatable or polished for the outside world while something more vulnerable is happening within. Made with oil pastels, acrylic paint, glitter, and synthetic hair, this mixed media work invites viewers to reflect on their own methods of release, resilience, and self-preservation.