Structured Glass: Painting the Seen and Unseen

June 30, 2025 2 Comments by cmartzloff Interiors

Structured Glass – 14″ x 14″ – Oil on canvas – $785

Structured Glass
This painting started as a response to a creative prompt from a fellow painter. It involved bottles, memory, and the idea of “painting within a painting.” While I don’t recall the exact prompt, it led me down a path I know well: painting glass. I’ve long been drawn to the clarity and mystery of transparent vessels, and I keep a personal collection of bottles for just such explorations. Unlike the muted palette of the artist we were referencing, I leaned into vibrant, imaginative color—my instinctual language. One of my own previous paintings appears in the background here, adding layered dimension, like a visual echo.

Much of this piece came together by feel. The square format is like a frame in itself. It created a uniquely contained space for navigating composition. I find this both challenging and deeply satisfying. There’s a medley of visual planes to consider here: layers of color, the delicate geometry of glass, and the quiet power of light. I see glass as a bridge between the seen and the unseen. It is a way of moving through separation into deeper understanding. The vessels carry a sense of story—past or present, used or offered. To me, the real beauty lies in that space between what’s known and what’s imagined.

This painting is one of an emerging collection called – Linked Instincts: The Space Between Glass and Frame. “Linked Instincts” reveals the quiet connections between objects, memories, and the artist’s hand. These intuitive threads subtly bind composition, color, and meaning in each contained space.

If this work resonates with you, I’d love to hear what it brings up— Catherine
cmartzloffart@gmail.com