Swallow My Silence (2025) Original Watercolour by Kristina Mallen

In this sensual and elegant work, I portray a moment of intimate stillness — a silent ritual between a woman and her emotions. The female face, poised and melancholic, leans gently toward a glass of wine, her lips almost touching the surface, as if kissing her own sorrow. A single tear, darkened with mascara, escapes her eye and falls — dissolving into the emotional depth of the moment.

The piece is built upon a refined black and white palette, evoking clarity, contrast, and timelessness. Yet, layered within it, soft emerald green tones subtly emerge, like emotions rising beneath the surface — quiet, mysterious, and alive. This interplay between monochrome and color enhances the tension between strength and softness, silence and sensation.

This female portrait is more than an image — it is a metaphor. A beautiful woman, suspended in a moment between release and restraint, tasting her own grief. Through minimal lines and expressive washes, I explore how sorrow can be sipped.

Materials used:

Watercolor

Details:

• Watercolour on Paper
• One of a kind artwork
• Size: 50 x 65 x 0.1cm (unframed) / 50 x 65cm (actual image size)
• Signed on the front
• Style: Graphic, illustrative and typographic
• Subject: People and portraits