The Awakening Relic

The Awakening Relic

By Amy-Médéa Chartier • Simply Amy Studio

There are moments in an artist’s life when a piece arrives not from planning, but from something deeper — something instinctive, ancestral, almost remembered. This artwork began that way.

It started as an antique brass frame from a bygone era, holding a soft Victorian print of a young girl. The frame itself was extraordinary: heavy, ornate, and sculpted with a level of craftsmanship rarely seen today. The moment I held it, I knew it wasn’t meant to be décor. It was meant to be a vessel.

What followed wasn’t an “upcycle.”

It was a transformation — a full rebirth of the object into a cosmic talisman.

The Process: From Antique to Alchemy

Inside the frame, I kept the original art intact. That was important to me.

I wanted the past to remain within the object — a hidden spirit, a preserved memory.

I sanded the glass to give it tooth and sprayed the reverse side with rust paint, creating an aged foundation the new artwork could anchor itself into. On top of that, I built a universe: gold leaf, metallics, cosmic energy, feathers, flowers, and my signature Hive of Eyes — a cluster of living blue portals, each one painted by hand.

The metal frame was then awakened with silver wax, allowing the high points to shimmer like moonlight while the original brass warmth pulsed beneath. This created a dimensional patina that feels ancient and newly forged at the same time.

Finally, I inset a tiger’s eye gemstone at the crown:

a protective stone, a guardian, a watcher of the watchers.

And suddenly… the entire object breathed.

Symbolism: A Relic of My Own Language

This piece carries every part of me:

The Hive of Eyes — consciousness, intuition, multidimensional sight.

The Feather — guidance, truth, messages carried between realms.

The Gold Veins — spiritual cracking-open, transformation, the beauty found in imperfection.

The Tiger’s Eye — grounded power, protection, sovereignty.

The OM — the beginning of all vibration, the original resonance.

Without planning to, I realized I had painted something that mirrors the symbols tattooed on my own body. This artwork isn’t just mine — it is me. It carries my markings, my language, my evolution.

That is why I’ve chosen to keep this piece.

It’s not meant to leave.

It’s meant to anchor the beginning of a new chapter.

The Birth of a Series

This artwork marks the start of a new body of work I call:

The Hive Relics.

Antique frames.

Cosmic biology.

Gold leaf.

Life.

Resin.

Energy.

History.

Me.

Each relic will be one-of-one.

Each will hold its own spirit.

But this one — this very first one — is the mother piece.

The origin artifact.

Copyright Notice

This artwork, its symbolism, techniques, design elements, written descriptions, and photographs are the intellectual property of Amy-Médéa Chartier (Simply Amy).

All rights reserved © 2025.

No part may be reproduced, copied, or used for commercial purposes without written permission.

Closing Thoughts

I didn’t expect to create something I’d want to keep forever.

But when a piece reflects your spirit so clearly, letting it go feels like letting go of a part of your story.

This relic will stay with me — in my studio, in my photographs, and as the foundation for the Hive Relic series that follows.

Thank you for witnessing this evolution with me.

Amy~

— Amy-Médéa Chartier

Simply Amy Studio