Original artwork: Watered‑down acrylic paint Style: Expressive still life with symbolic elements This still life was painted using watered‑down acrylics to create soft edges and gentle colour transitions. The objects — the clock, the coins, the bills marked “DUE” and “EXPIRED” — represent the pressure of daily life, stress, and responsibilities. The feather in the jar is the heart of the piece: it represents the one thing that’s always around us — birds, nature, real beauty — yet because of everything we juggle, we tend to shove it aside. In the painting, the feather is pushed into a jar, something we glance at every now and again but never truly appreciate. It’s a reminder of how easily the simple, beautiful things get lost in the noise of everyday life.