Acrylic on board in ornate frame, 7.5x7.5cm in a 11x11cm frame.
Small enough to rest in the palm, yet vast enough to hold a universe. In this Tiny Totem, a single 7 spot ladybird stands illuminated against a dark, star-scattered ground. Orbiting lines of light encircle her like celestial pathways, transforming this humble garden visitor into something cosmic — a bearer of unseen order within apparent fragility.
Traditionally, the ladybird (or ladybug) has been a symbol of protection, luck, and divine guardianship. In European folklore it was known as “Our Lady’s bird,” associated with the Virgin Mary — its red shell echoing sacred robes, its black spots seen as marks of sorrow and endurance. Farmers once welcomed it as a quiet saviour, protecting crops by devouring aphids — a small creature performing immense, restorative work. This ladybird also has 7 spots which is thought to be extra lucky as 7 has long been viewed as a sacred or complete number (7 days of the week, 7 classical planets, 7 virtues, etc.).
The glowing orbital lines suggest unseen forces at play — destiny, synchronicity, love and luck . The ladybird becomes a reminder that even the smallest life moves within a larger cosmic choreography. Protection is not always loud.
Set within an ornate, relic-like frame, the piece functions almost as a devotional object — a contemporary icon for resilience, quiet intervention, and hope that lands softly.