Watercolor painting of BCharleena Lyles rendered in teals, greens, pinks.

Charleena Lyles

This piece was created on Procreate and released to Instagram for its initial publication.

"Charleena Lyles was gunned down in her own home in front of her children after calling 911 to report a burglary. She was shot 7 times- twice in the back- killing her and her unborn child. The bullets cut through her uterus and baby, who was 14-15 weeks old. Charleena’s life mattered. The lives of the children who watched her get murdered matter. The life of her unborn baby mattered.

I took a little liberty with this portrait and drew Charleena a little further along in her pregnancy because I wanted to give her and her unborn baby the beauty and dignity they both deserved. This piece moved somewhere deep inside of me. If it moves you, too, I encourage you to donate to your favorite Black Lives Matter charity in her honor."

You can find more information here.

Handwritten, cursive signature says "pea flower tea" in lowercase letters. The flower is a small sketch of a bloom, instead of the word for "flower".

About the author

Pea is an artist focused on building an art therapy platform through transformative art and positive erotica to help victims of sexual violence reclaim their power. She lives on a small island and hides from loud noises.