My western mudbrick wall has only two windows, to reduce heat entering. On summer late afternoons I also draw blinds or curtains across them, to complement the outside shade efforts of the Glory Vine’s broad leaves.
Now that the full heat of summer is waning, I can begin to enjoy the effects of this late afternoon light.
One window, very high up under the gable, only receives direct sunlight very late in the day, in long slanting rays. I had covered it with cool coloured flat-based glass balls, stuck on with clear silicone, with the idea of reducing the impression of heat at least, as well as of decoration.
The other is lower, a narrow garden of stained glass rosebuds, made by a friend to my design. I love it when the vine’s green leaves echo those of glass. In Autumn they will echo the pink. It’s a kind of serendipitous value-adding, an unexpected visual double act.
And once that long light enters, tinged rose or green or fiery red, it splashes brightness and colour onto sun-shy interior objects, creating new effects — just for a few minutes. Unintended ephemeral works of art — ‘Still Life with Golden Nugget Squash’.