Lilacs and Glass: Being Here Again
This painting is a re-interpretation of one I created several years ago — and though it began with a reference from the past, it’s come to mean something about the present.
By the time I started painting it, the lilacs outside my window had already passed their peak. The blooms were sparse, the light had changed, and the moment I had originally planned for was gone. Still, I showed up at the easel. I worked from memory, color notes, and an earlier version I had painted. And in doing so, I found a different kind of beauty — not in catching a fleeting bloom, but in returning to it with fresh eyes.
The glass bowl in the painting reminds me of a fishbowl — though I chose not to name it that. I like how it holds the lilacs in place, while also distorting and reflecting what’s around it. In some ways, that’s what this painting does for me — it reflects both where I’ve been and where I am now.
This is the third in a small trio of lilac paintings, each with its own story. One of them — titled Lilacs Go Everywhere — shows an orange tote bag full of cuttings, ready for the road. This one feels different. It’s about staying still. About letting the bloom come to you.
Over the past few years, without a car, my world has become smaller in some ways. I’ve walked the same blocks again and again. And yet, when I slow down and really look, I realize there’s always something new — a fresh bud, a different light, a shift in perspective. Being here again doesn’t mean being stuck. It means being present.
Even a simple walk around the block can feel like a new experience when we allow ourselves to be in the moment. That’s something painting continues to teach me, again and again.
What follows is a glimpse of the original oil painting from 2018, along with several views of my recent interpretation.
If this piece stirs a memory or feeling — whether it’s the scent of lilacs, a particular season, or simply the quiet presence of flowers in a room — I’d love to hear about it in the comments.
This painting is available, and I hope you enjoy seeing how it’s evolved.
Warmly,
Catherine
Categories: Flowers, Nature, New Paintings, Original oil paintings, Still Life
CATHERINE J MARTZLOFF / Bright and Expressive Original Oil Paintings 
Very interesting seeing them together. You have moved it to a very different destination with your second painting. Can’t decide which, if either, I prefer. I always stop to sniff a lilac flower. I miss having one in my garden. As a child, there was always one planted beside an outside toilet. The association is still there!
Thanks so much for sharing your perspective and a personal experience around lilacs. They are fragrant aren’t they? It’s always interesting to me how memories can surface from a painting.
Enjoy your day! Catherine