"The Shoes Beside" tells the story of a homeless person huddled asleep under a bench inside a moving New York City subway train. I came across this scene in person and was struck by the worn shoes placed carefully beside their head, a fragile sign of self-care and dignity. The watercolor layers depict the harsh fluorescent light of an MTA train, illuminating a stark scene: three figures, rendered in muted tones, are aware of the sleeping person's presence but avert their eyes in embarrassment, emphasizing the figure's isolation.