This piece was inspired by an interaction with a young child with a suspected cancerous lump, during a primary care placement. Fortunately, the outcome was not one of loss, however the encounter sparked a moment of reflection, to appreciate life in all its fragility and contingence, particularly at such an early stage before it even has a chance to be lived.

The painting depicts a young girl gazing upon the shoreline of a glimmering sea, quietly scouring for shells. The water shimmers and glints, struck by sunlight. It is layered with shifting hues of blues, yellows, and pinks, highlighting the vibrancy, and colour of life— especially as experienced through the eyes of a child.

Her body is not whole, but partially filled with pearlescent shells, blurring the boundary between what is found and what is becoming. These shells that once littered the beach around her, waiting to be picked up, resemble the experiences, memories, and identity that she has gathered thus far. As we grow and move through life, we only discover more about ourselves, and experience more of the world around us, and the world in turn, shapes who we are. Her partially filled form reflects her youth, and her position at the start of this ever-ongoing process of becoming.

However, the sea introduces a quiet tension. Juxtaposing the bright sheen of glistening blues and greens on the water’s surface, inviting and full of possibility, a small streak of darkness peaks out from under the breaking wave. This brings to light the unknown depth hidden beneath, placing emphasis on the sea’s power to take away. Some shells are never found, lost before they are even grasped, slipping back into the tide. Though this piece is not inherently focused on loss, I wanted to bring awareness to the precious, yet transient nature of life.

For me, collecting seashells has always been something deeply intertwined with childhood.  I hoped to echo this through the scrapbook feel of the piece, using glitter, collage, texture, and scattered trinkets and shells, extending beyond the painted scene. Whilst portraying the memories and moments already lived and contained within these trinkets, this also gestures towards the importance of remaining connected to that childlike way of seeing. The desire to notice, and to find wonder in little things does not need to fade with age.

This blacked out figure, though lacking detail, is not empty. Instead, it is still in the process of being filled. It represents both vulnerability and possibility, shaped by what has been gathered and what is yet to come.