There’s a moment in the late afternoon when the light feels almost alive-shifting, refusing to stay still.
Between Light and Glass (Transience) was born from that moment, captured in time by photograph. I wanted to hold onto the sensation of something beautiful, knowing it would fade as quickly as it came. Deeper than a photograph, this painting began as a feeling: a mix of clarity and softness. Kind of like the way light can both reveal and obscure. Blinding clarity.
In the studio, I let that feeling guide me-layering acrylics, masked with tape, allowing colors to bleed and blend together, breaking the surface and grounding the work in the here and now.
The Spark
For this piece, the inspiration was a quick glance at my living room’s window sill. A glass vase of tulips were perfectly framed by the light of the lowering sun. I noticed how the glass seemed to hold both the tulips and the light, yet not fully-it let both pass through, scattering in unexpected ways. That intersection between permanence and impermanence stayed with me, becoming the heart and literal image of the work. I thought about moments in life that felt the same: something solid that carries something fleeting.
Process and technique
I started with a muted base, laying acrylic layers of paint and using a sponging technique to create a soft, hazy foundation. I worked quickly in some areas and slowly in others, carefully layering translucent tones until they build and meld into one another.
For contrast, I added sharper strokes, crisp lines and shapes that cut through the softness, like glass edges catching the sun. The balance of fluid and defined forms was intentional: it is a visual representation of transience and stability existing side by side.
This juxtaposition is echoed in the composition of the piece, particularly the background in relation to the foreground. The grid of the paned window and ledge box the tulips in, invoking a sense of confinement. Yet the tulips breakthrough, exploding and cascading from the vase, breaking that harsh geometry.
Emotional resonance
More than anything, Between Light and Glass (Transience) is about the beauty of impermanence: the moments we try to hold by inevitably slip away. It’s a reminder that fleeting experiences aren’t diminished by their brevity. Those experiences are precious because of it. When I look at this piece now, I don’t just see the paint or a vase of flowers. I feel the warmth of the sun, the cool touch of glass, and the realization that nothing stays, yet everything leaves its mark.
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