Posted by Sherrie Thai of Shaire Productions.
Drenched Woman and Struggling Bird are two art pieces influenced by the devastating BP oil spill occurring in the Gulf of Mexico.
The "Drenched Woman" is about the effect of the oil spill on the livelihoods on the denizens of the coast. My friend, who lives in the Florida Panhandle, was the main inspiration. She was forced to move due to the oil seeping into the waters nearby (deep-well water for cooking, drinking, showering) and had to go to travel to local truck-stops for $10 showers. Her story is one of many, deeply impacted by the crisis. The style of art is simple and bold. The pose of the female figure suggests vulnerability and helplessness.
"Struggling Bird" is an illustration of a snowy egret (symbolic of the Florida Everglades) struggling to escape the oil. I did not want to depict images of death, but rather, the emotional effect of the oil spill and its impact on the environment and its creatures.
