Becoming Ellie

This painting was based on a photo of my friend's daughter named Ellie. I was inspired by the colors initially, then my attempt to capture the warm sunlight, and finally by what was for me the relevant historical background of the numerous black lives matter protests. I wondered how others would view this painting of Ellie emerging from the water. How would they interpret her level gaze at the viewer? Would they see a child playing in a backyard swimming pool? Would they see the metaphor of an African American rising up and out of suppression? There is an ambiguous quality of her relationship to the water which could also suggest the feeling of sinking below the water. What will it take for her to fully be seen eye to eye and what will it mean to her to truly see eye to eye? Would the viewer see the potential in Ellie as she grows into the person she is becoming? Ellie lives in a very small town in Pennsylvania but her story is one of adoption by a Caucasian family who brought her here from overseas. Ellie's family has many stories to tell.