Original artwork - Matters of Conscience series
Teenagers often face periods in which they experience intense feelings of loneliness and social isolation. Too often, they respond with violence against themselves or against others, with the latter leading to lengthy incarcerations. In fact, social science research has demonstrated a strong relationship between social isolation and aggressive and hostile behavior and yet relatively few resources are devoted to providing mental health services for this suffering group. The costs of lives lost are incalculable but we do know costs of counseling services pale in comparison to costs of incarceration. Thus, both moral and economic arguments for greater support of counseling services are sound. The figure in the painting was appropriated from Lord Frederic Leighton's 1890 artwork entitled Solitude. The weapon on her lap is an AR-15, an all too common choice for teens and young adults who violently act out against others.