When I was painting in college, I worked on a series of paintings of interiors.  I absolutely loved doing them, but abandoned them as in my silly young mind, I thought, “Who wants to see a painting of a room?”  In those days before Instagram, I didn’t realize that interior life paintings are a way of capturing the beauty in an ordinary, fleeting moment, something done so well in the work of Tollef Runquist.

I love these little glimpses he depicts in abandoned corners and tabletops.  I can almost feel the presence of the person who just left the laptop to answer a call, who arose from the chair to greet a visitor at the door.  His use of pattern and light truly brings these spaces to life, leaving us to guess as to the warmth of the light, whether the breeze blows cool through the sheers.  Days tick by so quickly, filled with work and the monotony of living, yet even in those ordinary hours, we can still find plenty to celebrate.

To see more of Tollef Runquist’s work, please visit his website.  I’ve been trying to make it a ( near ) daily habit of capturing the beauty of an ordinary moment in my Instagram feed.  How are you celebrating your daily beauties?

Top & bottom images via Dowling Walsh Gallery, middle three images via Ober Gallery.