The subject is a homeless lady who is sitting by a bus stop in New York. The world moves so fast around her whilst she sits in silence and reads a book whilst making notes at the same time. Like so many of the homeless she has a story to tell. I have met so many homeless people who see the cold and lonely streets as an escape from their home, their abuse and their trauma.
I wondered what she was writing, I thought of her dreams as a child, I thought of the injustice that these dreams were stolen from her.
I added the shadows in the foreground as a sign of threat, uncertainty and fear that the homeless constantly have to endure.
I want to thank the brilliant photographer Rob Sternitzky whose photo I referenced for this painting
