‘Unsteady’ continues my exploration of motherhood and the contrasting and conflicting emotions it provokes. Here there is a tension between stillness and internal turbulence: the body remains steady, but the mind is elsewhere, suspended between hope and fear.

She wears a blue dressing gown patterned with cranes. Traditionally symbols of flight, grace, and longevity, the cranes embody a longing for lightness—for a moment free from responsibility, from the invisible calculations and anticipatory fears that shape maternal instinct. They suggest the desire to rise above anxiety, to feel the weightlessness of calm, even if only briefly.

Set against a deep, almost infinite blue ground, the figure feels both grounded and alone. The darkness creates space—an emotional field rather than a literal interior—allowing the psychological state to take precedence over setting. The contrast between the rich blue and the pale cranes intensifies the sense of inward reflection: strength wrapped around vulnerability.

This painting speaks to the quiet heroism of motherhood—the act of trying to remain steady while carrying unspoken worry, of holding oneself upright so that one’s children can feel safe enough to fly.