The Birdcage
We spend so much of life trapped in invisible cages — shaped by our thoughts, pain, and the belief that happiness lives somewhere outside of us. This painting is about that awakening: the moment we realize the door was never locked.
In today’s world, we’ve become numb — distracted by our phones, social media, endless emails, the news telling us who we should be. It leaves us anxious, afraid, and shackled to a rhythm that isn’t our own. But that’s not how we were meant to live.
True freedom begins when we stop waiting to be saved, and instead become the love we were searching for.
Happiness is our natural state — but we forget this as we grow older, attaching our feelings to stories, pain, and the wounds of others, hoping for approval or validation, becoming entrapped in our own minds.
The woman in the painting discovers she doesn’t need permission, control, or support from anyone outside herself — she already holds the strength. Once she opens the door, she finds joy, peace, courage, humility, and love waiting for her on the other side.
The herons flying beside her carry the spirit of purity, transformation, and quiet wisdom — guiding her home. When we face our feelings, quiet the mind, and return to presence — we rise. We become light.
And in doing so, we set others free too.
“The key was never lost — it was hidden in your own heart all along.”
💜Giclee:
Our signed and numbered canvas giclees are printed on canvas to give the look and feel of the original and are the same size as the original painting. By printing on canvas, the colors achieved are bright and vivid, mirroring the intensity of Clair’s originals. Our canvas giclees are stretched on heavy duty stretcher bars and Gallery Wrapped and ready to hang! Clairs editions are kept small, usually between 40 - 100 depending on the piece.
Artist Proof
A limited number of only 10 in the edition. CLAIR creates an alternate version of the original by painting and reworking the printed canvas surface of each Artist’s Proof, with lots of texture and paint, going over the entire piece. Each custom high definition reproduction, features its own unique set of details, and there are no two in existence that are identical. She can even change the people in the painting to look like you, change hair eye color, add a favorite pet, favorite wine label, write an anniversary date in the clouds or keep it exactly as the original. Each painting is finished with her signature on the front and signed and numbered on the back.
- Printed on fine art acid-free canvas
- Professional grade archival inks with UV protection
- Hand stretched; wrapped over 1.5” American Pine wood bars
- Ready to hang
- 100% Made in the USA
ORIGINALS – Perhaps you are seeking a custom ORIGINAL painting? Learn more about commissioning your own Stephanie Clair original painting here.
Metal Giclee:
This is a new process that lends it self to CLAIRS vibrant colors. The process is created using a die-sublimation process in which the inks are transferred and then heated onto a special type of metal that locks in the color, gloss and vibrancy! The smaller mini's on metal make a great statement, and come with hanging hardware on the back and are ready to put on the wall as soon as you get it. Or, If you are looking for a real stand alone vibrant art piece, we can do a custom size if you choose! This is a great option if you have a lot of sun, as they are more UV resistant.