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"Live Your Life by Compass, Not a Clock" is a vibrant, textured and positive exploration of the female journey, blending Surrealist elements with deeply personal symbolism. This piece reflects the complex experience of navigating chronic pain, fertility challenges, and the search for meaning, while charting a path beyond the constraints of time.
At the heart of the composition are parrots perched on a branch, symbolising the spine—a metaphor for the body’s strength and support. Parrots, with their vivid colours and mimicry, represent resilience, adaptability, and freedom. Here, they serve as a reminder that even amidst adversity, there is space for joy, creativity, and life.
Below, a water lily symbolises the uterus. Known for thriving in murky waters, the lily mirrors the strength and beauty women embody, even when faced with hardship. It speaks to the resilience of women navigating challenges with fertility and menstruation, celebrating their ability to nurture life or create legacies beyond the biological clock.
Flanking the water lily are a compass and a clock, representing the ovaries. The clock symbolises the pressures of the biological timeline, while the compass offers an alternative—a new direction shaped by passion, creativity, and exploration. For women living with fertility-affecting conditions, this piece honours the legacies built through adventures, stories, and dreams that transcend traditional expectations.
Bright, abstract, wing-shaped colours painted in thick impasto evoke transformation and growth. These wings suggest butterflies, a powerful symbol of metamorphosis and the journey of becoming. As Maya Angelou once said: “We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but we rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve beauty.” These wings celebrate the changes women endure—the challenges and pain that give rise to strength, resilience, and new beginnings.
Tropical colours and textures weave through the painting, grounding it in the artist’s own ancestry and cultural history. These elements evoke the vibrancy of tropical lands while celebrating identity and the call to adventure that shapes both personal and collective stories.
Ultimately, Live Your Life by Compass, Not a Clock is an invitation to reflect on the paths we choose—how we navigate time, pain, and hope, while creating legacies that extend beyond traditional expectations. For those whose bodies may not follow the biological clock’s timeline, it reminds us that our lives are defined not by societal pressures but by the stories we live, the adventures we seek, and the directions we chart for ourselves.
- Size: 23.6" x 19.7"
- Media: Mixed Media
- Format: Stretched Canvas 100% Cotton
- Frame: Unframed
Original Art: This item is a 100% original painting, hand-painted by Atelier Six. It is signed by the artist and dated on verso which guarantees its authenticity and artistic value.
Protected Packaging: Your artwork will be carefully packaged to ensure its safe arrival, striking a balance between reliability and environmental responsibility.