Help! The Flowers Are Dying – Original Oil Painting by Kellie Snider

Original 10×12 Oil Painting on Canvas Panel
By Kellie Snider, Contemporary American Artist

The days following the 2024 election were thick with uncertainty, frustration, and exhaustion. Like many, the urge to express that emotional weight was immediate—but what form would it take? Help! The Flowers Are Dying. was born from that moment, an intuitive response to the state of the country, the state of democracy, and the state of those fighting to keep hope alive. It is not just a painting; it is a visual lament, a reflection of collective anxiety, and, perhaps most importantly, a quiet but urgent call to action.

At the center of the composition is a glass vase, fragile yet clear, filled with eleven flowers. These flowers, though still standing, are wilting—petals beginning to curl, their vibrancy fading. They are not yet dead, but they are unmistakably struggling. The flowers, delicate and ephemeral, symbolize the ideals, rights, and movements that so many fought to uphold in the face of political upheaval. They are the people who keep pushing forward despite the exhaustion, the activists and leaders who have poured everything into change, only to find themselves fighting the same battles over and over again.

Upon one of the flowers rests a firefly, a tiny yet powerful beacon of light. Additional soft, glowing light spots scatter throughout the background, reminiscent of other fireflies or distant stars. This small detail carries immense meaning. A friend of the artist remarked that she sees the women she knows as “lights in the darkness,” and in this piece, that sentiment takes shape. The firefly, a creature that generates its own light, represents resilience, guidance, and the individuals who continue to shine, even when the world feels overwhelmingly dark. The scattered lights in the background suggest that though hope may seem faint, it is not isolated—there are others, flickering in the night, refusing to be extinguished.

But the painting does not exist in solitude. Behind the vase, looming like a shadowed presence, stands a crowd of people. They are little more than silhouettes—undefined, faceless figures in the background. Their presence is subtle yet undeniable, a reminder that no struggle happens in isolation. Some hold signs, scrawled with a single desperate plea: “Help.”

The faceless crowd is a powerful element of the piece. They could be the electorate, overwhelmed and unsure of what comes next. They could be the marginalized and the vulnerable, those who suffer the most when policies strip away protections and support. They could be the activists, screaming into the void, asking who will join them in the fight. The word Help is both an alarm and a question—will anyone answer?

The painting’s color choices further reinforce its message. The muted tones of the flowers suggest fragility, while the transparency of the vase emphasizes vulnerability. The background, neither fully illuminated nor completely dark, conveys uncertainty, a world teetering between hope and despair. The fireflies and their warm glow serve as the only promise of light, a visual whisper that all is not yet lost.

A Reflection on the Election and the Future

Created in the immediate aftermath of the 2024 election, Help! The Flowers Are Dying. encapsulates the raw emotional landscape of that moment. It is not a depiction of celebration, nor is it outright devastation—it is something more complex, more honest. It is about the weight of continued struggle, the exhaustion of those who have fought tirelessly, and the quiet fear that perhaps things are slipping away. But within that fear, there is also insistence. The fireflies glow, the flowers remain upright despite their fading state, and the people in the background, though obscured, have not disappeared.

This piece is not just about loss; it is about the plea to preserve what remains, to tend to what is wilting before it is too late. It is about the fight to keep the flowers from dying, to nurture the movements, the ideals, and the people who refuse to let the light go out.

As part of the After the Election Collection, this painting is both a snapshot of political and emotional history and an ongoing challenge. It asks: Will we let the flowers fade completely? Or will we answer the calls for help, ensuring that light, however small, continues to shine?

Help! The Flowers Are Dying. is more than an artwork—it is a call to recognize what is at stake, to care for what remains, and to ensure that the lights in the darkness are not left to burn alone.

Kellie Snider is a contemporary American artist whose work challenges social and political norms with bold, thought-provoking imagery. Rooted in storytelling, her paintings explore themes of justice, identity, and power, often confronting issues like inequality, systemic oppression, and the distortion of faith in modern America. With a background in behavior analysis, she brings a keen observational eye to her work, capturing the nuances of human and animal interactions. Her art invites conversation and reflection, urging viewers to engage beyond aesthetics. Through dynamic compositions and rich symbolism, Snider creates work that resonates with those seeking truth, change, and authenticity.

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