“Don’t Shoot” watercolor painting
The alarming rate of gun violence against unarmed young men was the impetus for this particular piece of art. Also, gun violence in general. Especially the recent mass shootings in Indianapolis. This is my artistic response, a proposed wall mural and poster. A gratis license is available to churches and non-profits that care to use the art to educate and promote awareness about Gun violence and peaceful measures that can be taken to effectively end it. To learn more, email Cynthia Wilson at creativessel@gmail.com.
At the top left of the work is an angel who is symbolically pouring out love on the matter in the form of hearts. She is sounding the trumpets to alert those who will hear the message,which states clearly on an artistic representation of a target painted with the following in varying sequence: "Unarmed Mortal,Don't Shoot. Aim for Love. Drown Out/ Curb Violence. The word curb has been struck through because drown out seems more precise and therefore a more appropriate word in light of the water and heart filled gun and cannon which have been repurposed to pour out love symbolized by water infused with hearts. As a result violence is figuratively depicted saturated with water filled with hearts of love and drowned out. No harm is caused others. If anything, they will get a goodness shower from the water-filled gun and cannon filled with water and hearts.
Peace is the ultimate objective. This artwork is just one of many interpretations of a recurring social ill which notably resurfaced with the Trayvon Martin matter--young unarmed men running away from armed police shooting at them for no justifiable reasons.
I wrote and recorded a podcast of the song that was removed (stolen)from my podcast page. It is being re-uploaded and will be made available soon. But I would like some of my favorite musicians to get together and make a recording of the song and make a video for a virtual concert. I’ve already recorded a version. The one on my podcast episode that’s missing. It’s a song that I hope everyone in our country would join in singing in unison, harmony or whenever the spirit moves them in their homes, at school, in the park at vigils held for loved ones they have lost to gun violence and make cover videos of the song versions they make as well. It’s about unity and people joining together to sing away this madness and evil that has seemed to take over our society and place us under a traumatic psychological state of siege.
Grace and peace,
Rev. Cynthia Wilson
