"Ring on the Dock” turns on a double meaning: the ring that saves and the ring that calls. A bright life ring hangs against the piling—urgent, circular, unmistakably present—while she sits in shadow, absorbed by the small circle of light in her hand. The composition hinges on this tension between rescue and distraction, signal and silence.

I leaned into bold contrasts to carry that idea. The life ring’s saturated red-orange cuts sharply against the cool, muted water and the figure’s deep blues, while the dark vertical of the post anchors the scene and throws a long, quiet shadow. Edges stay soft around the sitter to suggest absorption and stillness; the ring is painted with firmer strokes so it “sounds” visually—like a bell or a notification.

This piece contemplates attention and safety in contemporary life: how the call of the screen can eclipse the world that holds us, and how a simple, circular form—whether a lifebuoy or a phone’s alert—can define the moment. Between the two rings lies the question of what, right now, is truly calling us back to ourselves.