Almost Held

Anonymous

Colored pencil on toned paper

• Artist Statement

  This piece explores the distance between parents and children, even when they appear to be close. The hands in this image overlap but do not touch, coming close but never fully meeting. The near-contact reflects the kind of connection in many families between adults and their children, one that is present, influential, and protective, but marked by silence or emotional distance. The blues of each hand evoke restraint and difficulties expressing emotion in both parties. The greens, blacks, and reds represent the tension of unspoken love beneath the surface. On a dark background, the hands are untethered to any specific time, culture, or place, representing the universality of these themes.

• Creative Statement

  Creativity is the means by which a person can process the world around them. Creativity is the means by which a person can transform what is most inner and put it on the outside.