Clinging On, is a beautiful watercolor and gouache painting that plunges deeper into the Preserve Me series' exploration of societal obsession with youth. The serene profile of the figure acts as the "shell" we frantically try to maintain, while a cool cascade of blue and yellow flowers symbolizes the ephemeral nature of beauty.
In this piece, your Orbettes—my personified thoughts—are captured in poses of desperation, literally clinging to the flowers and the figure's head. This powerful visual metaphor represents the internal anxiety and frantic effort we exert to hold onto our past appearance. It challenges the fear that our value, relevance, and self-worth will simply be discarded when our youth fades. The true message is here: focus on nurturing the inner self—the mind and the spirit—which only grows stronger and more vibrant with time, a beauty that requires no desperate hold.
$2200