I'm Treading Water - PRINT

• Printed on heavyweight, matte cardstock
• Print size and options:

- 8.5x11in prints are printed with thin white borders around the image. Choose between horizontal or vertical orientation for framing 

- 5x7in prints are fully printed to edges; will be cropped and may not show full original image

• Every print is signed on the front

About the artwork:

To tread water is to struggle in place — to keep moving just enough to stay afloat, yet never feel like you’re getting anywhere. “I’m Treading Water” was created during a time when I felt stuck despite pouring energy into progress. It's a quiet reflection on the experience of putting in effort day after day, only to feel as though nothing is changing. That kind of stillness, the kind that follows exhaustion, is what this painting holds.

Visually, the woman is suspended just beneath the surface — close enough to see the world above, yet not breaking through. Her eyes are closed, not in rest, but in quiet surrender. The water distorts and blurs her features, symbolizing disconnection, emotional overwhelm, and the struggle to maintain identity in difficult times. The cool purples and deep blues echo feelings of melancholy and isolation, while the soft, flowing hair mimics the slow, rhythmic movement of someone barely holding on — not giving up, but not rising either.

This painting is about the emotional weight of effort without progress — whether that effort is mental, physical, financial, or emotional. It’s a moment many experience but rarely name. “I’m Treading Water” gives that moment form, creating space for reflection, honesty, and quiet recognition.

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