I first searched through many different poets works until I found a stanza that I thought I could illustrate. I decide on a stanza from the poem "Something Bright then Holes" by Maggie Nelson. The stanza reads "The heart, too, is porous; I lost the water you poured into it". I then sketched out my idea for the piece which was a heart that has holes with water spilling out representing the porous heart described in the poem. I then looked on the internet for a stencil for the heart that I could then use and morph into what I wanted. 

To change the outline of the heart I used the magic wand tool to select the black outline. After I selected the outline on a seperate layer I used the brush tool to create a multicolor effect through the heart. I then added another layer and used a low opacity brush to fill in the pink color on the inside of the heart. 

The next step was to add the holes in the heart. I used a black and white soft brush to create overlapping brush strokes. I then used the eraser tool to take out the middle of the black and white spot creating the hole effect.

Next I wanted to start adding the water drip effect. I created by own brush so that I could create layers with the same shape. I thin began working on the drip and the inside of the holes. I made a new layer for the inside of the holes and used the brush tool to add darker layers of pink. I then used the smudge tool to blend the colors together. Next I added the drip with the brush I created. 

 I had the idea of the rib surrounding the heart and found an image of the outline of a ribcage to use as an outline. I then filled in the top of the ribcage with the magic wand tool to select and the brush tool to fill it in. 

I then added the back part of the ribs using a darker shade of green then I did with the front ribs. This was the step I started trying to decide what to do with the background. I decided to add the shoulder blades and center the piece. I also changed the background from black to navy because I thought it made the greens pop more and wasn't as somber as the black.

At this stage in creating the piece I knew it needed more but couldn't figure out what. I attempted several different methods to give it more depth, such as adding shadows and darkening spots, but both made the piece look too busy. I then decided to add light opacity white lines to mimic light hitting it and giving it highlights. I also decided to change the background again to give it more dimensions. The idea was to make it look like a water ripple when a water drop hits the surface. I first used the render clouds tool then blurred it with the radial and gaussian blur tools. I then put it in the filter gallery and played with it till I got the desired look. I think the color gradient gives it more depth and completes the idea of the heart leaking water.