Diamonds are a gift in our culture but a curse to many African countries. The mining of these stones fuels civil wars, environmental destruction, slavery and suffering. My picture image is a metaphor for conflict diamond violence. A surgeon, usually a symbol of hope and life, is tending to a dead boy. However, he isn’t removing bullets from the child. He is removing diamonds. I painted the surgeon’s face/body using a source image, and did the rest free hand. Maintaining the “cutout” filter style was difficult and time-consuming but the end result was worth the effort. Blending modes helped create the spray paint effect.