A Glimpse Beyond - Original Oil Painting

A Glimpse Beyond is from the collection Mysteries of the Deep.

She's not looking at what is. She's looking at what could be.

When I watched the documentary, My Octopus Teacher, I was in limbo. Uncertain about my purpose. Afraid of the future I couldn't yet see. But watching that octopus — resilient, adaptable, regenerating even after loss — something shifted in me. Her quiet strength despite everything she'd endured became a mirror for what I was searching for in myself.

That same year, I travelled to Tobago twice. Early in the year, I witnessed leatherback turtles laying their eggs on the beach. Later, under the guidance of a turtle monitor, I helped hatchlings make their journey to the ocean. Witnessing both the creation and the survival instinct — their inner knowing, their ability to navigate through a world that's changing because of us — reinforced something I'd learned from the octopus. Nature knows how to survive, and within that survival is an intelligence we can trust.

I painted this for women standing where I was standing. Women in midlife, questioning everything. You know what you love. You're just not certain it's possible. Not sure you're allowed to reimagine your life and chase what actually matters to you.

This painting says: you are allowed. Look beyond your current circumstances. Your future isn't something you wait for — it's something you meet now, with open hands and an open heart.

The octopus represents your resilience, your adaptability, and your inner knowing. The mermaid's gaze fixed beyond the present is your permission slip to envision what could be — to step into transformation with trust, even when the path ahead isn't yet clear.

Original Oil on Stretched Linen 
16 x 20 inches (41 x 51 cm)

This original oil painting comes unframed and ready to hang. If you would like it framed, please contact me and we can discuss what will work well in your living space.

A portion of proceeds supports Plastic Bank, helping to remove plastic from rivers and oceans before it causes further harm.

If this piece speaks to you and you're considering beginning — or adding to — your personal collection, you're warmly invited to get in touch here.