Resting in Memory
As the moon rises, the border between dead ans alive grows thin. The exhales of the pod fill the air, the noise the only sound in the still night. The living are not alone though, traveling with them, the family they lost. Gone, but not forgotten. 8 living whales surface, bodies almost touching. 14 spirits follow, traveling once more with their earthbound family.
This is a project that has spanned almost two months. It started as a warm up sketch of J38 Cookie, but slowly, more whales started being added as my ideas became stronger. Then I had to buy some white gouache and figure out how to mix it with my watercolors to get the opacity, color, and vibrancy that I wanted. Today was a painting day once I got done with school and this painting just seemed to paint itself.
The southern residents need salmon to survive, but they’re starving to death, unable to find the salmon they so desperately need. Their dwindling numbers only remind us that their time is running out. We’re watching extinction happen right before our eyes.
