Brevity Series / Lisa M West Illustration

Brevity Series

The Brevity series is a contemplation of the fleeting nature of beauty.

Sublime beauty is exclusively found in a moment - it is not constant, it cannot be captured and held. Beauty is precious because of its finitude and there is a sense of perfection hidden somewhere in the simple fact that it ends. When we are fortunate enough to witness unexpected beauty we feel uplifted and the experience can often transcend the moment to an awareness of something majestic, profound and unknowable.
A moment of beauty is a Vanitas - it reminds us that all is transient including our own lives and it prompts us to pause and appreciate the beauty in our world before it is gone.