✨ “Transparency is not the end of things, but their radiance.” — Inspired by Gebser

“Seeing Through: Three Paintings at the Edge of Origin” traces the unfolding of three works born from deep contemplation. Each painting invites the viewer beyond surface appearance—toward movement, stillness, and the ever-present mystery of becoming. Seeing Through is more than the title of my upcoming solo show — it’s an invitation to dwell in what is barely perceptible yet deeply known. These three paintings — Ascent to Origin, Moth and Angel, and Gifts — emerged over months of layered work, each one a portal into the quiet luminosity that lies just beyond the visible.

Ascent to Origin

Entirely clear and serene
is the heaven within
and farther in many ways,
the ascent to origin
— Jean Gebser, 3 weeks before his passing: Ever‑Present Origin,

“Entirely clear and serene is the heaven within…”

Ascent to Origin is a meditation in color, texture, and presence. Emerging from layered glazes of oil and cold wax, the painting evokes an upward movement — both physical and spiritual — culminating in a quiet radiance. Inspired by Jean Gebser’s final poem, written just weeks before his death, the piece explores the clarity that arises when all modes of perception coalesce.

Subtle figures surface from the textures, appearing and dissolving like moments of insight. The composition, as later noted by a fellow artist, reveals a star-geometry: two interlaced triangles forming a five-pointed ascent. I hadn’t planned this consciously — the image revealed itself through the act of painting, a process I experience less as invention and more as invocation.

Moth & Angel

“Moth & Angel” by Marilyn Wells, oil and cold wax, 40″ x 30″

This moth, not drawn to flame
finds its angel shape — lifted
by the light within.

This painting arrived gently, almost shyly — a whispered moment of encounter between two unseen realms. Moth & Angel suggests a quiet exchange between vulnerability and protection, between the earthbound and the luminous.

Created with oil and cold wax, the layered textures evoke both atmosphere and memory, with subtle shapes emerging only as the viewer slows down to receive them. The moth, ephemeral and drawn to light, hovers in silent conversation with a guardian form. Their presence, though barely defined, creates a resonance that invites the viewer to pause and wonder: What do we brush up against in the dark? Who meets us there?

Gifts – Seeing Through the Invisible to What Guides

Three times the bowl was offered.
The first I passed by.
The second I could not lift.
The third was already mine.

Gifts is a quiet unfolding — a painting that asks nothing but presence. There is no drama here, only the soft arrival of something meaningful, offered without demand.

In this work, the layering of oil and cold wax creates a surface that feels both weathered and tender. Forms emerge like distant memories or long-held truths, half-glimpsed yet deeply felt. The composition rests in spaciousness, suggesting that not all gifts come with flourish — some arrive like a breath, or a blessing not fully understood until much later.

If these paintings speak to something within you…
Seeing Through: Three Paintings at the Edge of Origin. I invite you to spend a little time with them. Let your gaze soften. Let the images work in their own time. If one calls to you or stirs a memory, I’d love to hear what you see. You’re welcome to leave a comment, reach out to me directly, or come visit the work in person at D’Art Gallery during my August 28 – September 21, 2025 Solo Show entitled Seeing Through. This journey of seeing through is not mine alone — it’s one we share. My earlier articles refer to this understanding frequently.

✨ Seeing Through: Three Paintings at the Edge of Origin.“Transparency is not the end of things, but their radiance.” — Inspired by Gebser