“The Woman with an Issue of Blood” for the book Dear Divine Daughter

It was important to me this woman look actually sick, and anemic but not broken. Full of hope and determination. I wanted her to be a little older, to show she has been struggling a long time, while still looking like she could have good years to live ahead of her if she got well. It’s been such a delicate balance! She needed to be dirty from living on the street, and I thought having her dress the same color as the wall she leans against would make her look like she was fading into the stone, invisible. It’s a metaphor for how houseless people become invisible to the majority of us, when they need help. In the story no one can touch her because they think she is “unclean”. Do you think much has changed in society? Are we just as bad at helping people as they were in this story?

I also loved the symbolism of wrapping her in this rusty color, which looks almost like old blood.

8” x 10” Giclee Print - Matte finish