For me hands convey deep emotions. As they emerge from a dense thicket of vibrant verdant leaves, each one is straining in an attempt to break free. Tinged with hues of despair and desperation, they symbolize the suffocating grip of panic and anxiety. They stretch, yearning for an escape, yet remain ensnared amidst the relentless foliage, mirroring the overwhelming sensation of being trapped by one’s own thoughts.

“Panic Room” was born from that feeling we rarely admit out loud—the moments when the world presses in so tightly it feels like we’re clawing for air. The hands in the painting aren’t reaching for something dramatic… they’re reaching for relief. For grounding. For a way out of the dense, choking tangle of anxious thoughts that can make even ordinary days feel like a maze with no exit.

Every leaf is a worry. Every shadow is a “what if.” And every hand belongs to a version of us trying to stay afloat.

But there’s a turning point hidden in it too.

If you look closely, the hands aren’t collapsing inward—they’re pushing through. They’re searching for the seams in the darkness, the tiny slivers of light where you can finally breathe again. This piece holds the truth that healing isn’t a sudden epiphany; it’s a slow, stubborn, beautiful journey of reaching out again and again, even when you feel swallowed by the weight of everything.

“Panic Room” is the moment right before breaking through—the part where the air is still thick, but hope has a pulse.

And if you’ve ever felt that heaviness, that pressure, that quiet fight inside yourself… this painting is a reminder that you weren’t meant to stay trapped. That there is another side. And you’re already reaching for it.

This painting was created with watercolor and gold leaf embellishments, measuring 14” x 11”. This original work of art comes framed, signed, varnish and ready to display! Free Shipping