After leaving a toxic, abusive situation or person, the only way I can describe it is that my body is finally safe but my mind hasn’t caught up. I’m still in survival mode. It’s like I’ve been running from a lion for years, breathless and terrified, and even though the lion is gone, my body doesn’t know that yet. I’m still looking over my shoulder. Still flinching at every crack of a branch. Still expecting danger in quiet moments, because danger became my normal.

This painting is a metaphor for that. The tension. The quiet panic. The way trauma lingers in the muscles, even when the door is locked and no one can hurt me anymore. But the roses I added last minute, they’re important. They’re my reminder that this part of the journey is not the end. That healing isn’t linear, but it is real. That one day, I won’t just survive. I’ll soften. I’ll grow. I’ll bloom. 🌸 

All prints come with a signed authenticity card confirming it is an official Rhylee Passfield original reproduction. Each is packaged in a protective sleeve in a rigid mailer.

Colours may vary slightly between screens and the final printed artwork due to differences in monitor settings. 

Every order is lovingly packed by me from my home studio in Queensland, Australia.