For most of my life I’ve lived surrounded by friends and family, so being without a home never seemed like a very real possibility to me.  As Mr. F and I travel, we do occasionally find ourselves “between homes” temporarily, but that usually just involves a few nights in a local hotel while trying to find a rental.  While living this past year in Eureka, we’ve encountered a homeless population to rival larger cities.  I always wonder about them, how they came to where they are– was it a series of bad luck? Was it by choice?

We find ourselves walking by them, not making eye contact, trying not to notice them so they won’t notice us and make us uncomfortable.  Perhaps through no fault of their own, these are the cast-offs, society’s discards that we’ve thrown away and never given a second thought.  Because if we really think about them, we might see ourselves in their eyes.

These watercolor paintings from New York artist Alvaro Naddeo focus our attention on the consumption and consequent dumping of what was once needed, shiny and new.  To see more of Alvaro Naddeo‘s work, please visit his website.

All images are via the artist.