I spotted this woman sitting on the steps of the National Art Museum of Catalonia in Barcelona, Spain, and I had to take her photo. I couldn’t explain it, but I was drawn to what I interpreted as deep sadness.

I created this work on Stonehenge Paper in pearl grey with Prismacolor Premier and Faber-Castell Polychromos pencils. I used the grid method to draw out the details. I used a grid made from cardboard and thread over my paper and an app to add a grid to the reference photo on my phone.

As I created this piece, I saw myself in this stranger. To me, she was sad, afraid, and playing small. As I neared completion, I kept fluctuating between a few names, one being “My Inner Child” due to my connection with the subject. But something wasn’t right. I asked a few friends for their thoughts, and one commented, “It’s like an evolution of finding yourself and being at peace.” Me: “Exactly!” but I was like, “Huh?? 🤔 I was slightly puzzled.

I looked at the drawing again, but it was different this time. I saw what she saw. The green that once meant hope in sad times transformed into being physically and spiritually grounded. At that moment, I knew there was only one title for this piece… “She is Me. I am Her.”