Oil, acrylic, glitter on board with hand painted frame with gold leaf. 10x13x1.5cm. Contact us at info@louisemcnaught.com or via the chat box for purchase enquiries.
At the centre of a dark, cosmic ground, the snail moves with quiet devotion, carrying a spiral shell that glows like an embered sun. Its body is rendered in silvery greys, soft and vulnerable, while the shell burns in concentric rings of amber, copper and gold , a living clock, a sacred spiral, a reminder that time is not linear but cyclical. The spiral is one of the oldest spiritual symbols: the unfolding of consciousness, the rhythm of birth–death–rebirth, the expansion of the soul. In the snail, this cosmic geometry becomes embodied. It does not rush. It does not compare its pace to others. It carries its home, its centre ,  wherever it goes…
In many traditions, the snail symbolises patience, resilience, protection and intuitive movement. It advances only when conditions are right. It withdraws when necessary. It honours cycles of expansion and retreat. Spiritually, it reminds us that what appears slow is often simply deeply attuned.
Within the Tiny Totem series, this piece becomes a quiet guardian for anyone who feels behind, delayed, or out of sync with the world. It whispers:
You are not late.
You are not too slow.
You are unfolding exactly as you are meant to!