Homeless not Hopeless - Ramone is one image of a series reflecting the stark realities of life on the streets whilst also hinting at elements of hope and humanity. With this image of a kind face looking straight at the viewer, I wanted to challenge the public's view of why the homeless end up in their situations. It is a common misconception that homeless people have little to offer society, that they are less educated, too lazy to get into employment, and that they are all substance abusers. Although a lot of people turn to substances whilst on the streets to cope with their circumstances this is not necessarily why they ended up there in the first place. Often, they have simply found themselves the victims of circumstances that could affect any one of us. Family fallouts, relationship breakups, domestic violence and unemployment often play a big part in causing homelessness. Ramone is not an addict. He was ill equipped for the circumstances he found himself in. He struggled with council benefit forms and had no support to help him fill forms correctly and follow up with the council. Without that support and without benefits he ended up on the streets. I have used graphite powders, pencils and charcoal powder for this image to create tension between the darkness of the situation and the hope of a kind face. The collage of press cuttings in the background, while hinting at the issues of lack of housing and homelessness, also draws the viewers eye towards the almost perceivable smile on Ramone's face.