Inner Glow with Ysabel LeMay
Ysabel LeMay is a Texas-based visual artist who revels in nature’s beauty, paying tribute to it with her artwork. She uses hypercollage to make what she calls “Wonderful Other Worlds” To create these worlds, LeMay begins with a single emotion, image, or pigment, photographs an array of plants and animals, then incorporates elements from an assortment of the photos into one dynamic image. In this piece, titled Stillness, LeMay welcomes us into her “Wonderful Other World,” wherein a breathtaking tree towers over us, overwhelming us with its magnificence. While most trees don’t naturally emit light, nature does provide us with countless examples of bioluminescence. Fireflies dance through summer evenings, deep-sea creatures navigate the ocean’s darkness with living lanterns, and certain fungi glow with an ethereal green light on forest floors. This biological light production occurs through a chemical reaction involving luciferin and luciferase, creating what scientists call “cold light”—illumination without heat. Throughout history, light has been synonymous with resistance against oppression, ignorance, and despair. The luminous tree embodies this same spirit of resistance. It doesn’t merely survive the darkness—it transforms it. Its light doesn’t banish the night but rather creates a space of possibility within it. This distinction is crucial: the tree doesn’t claim to eliminate all darkness from the world, but rather demonstrates that light can coexist with, and even be enhanced by, its opposite.
In human experience, we often discover our deepest sources of strength not in moments of ease, but in times of challenge. Compassion grows most profound in the face of suffering. Courage reveals itself not in the absence of fear, but in the presence of it. Love often shines brightest when tested by loss or separation. The tree’s light against the dark sky becomes a visual metaphor for these emotional truths. This has profound implications for how we navigate our own difficult periods. Rather than viewing challenges as obstacles to overcome or eliminate, we might see them as the very conditions that allow our inner light to become visible—to ourselves and others. The entrepreneur who finds innovative solutions during economic downturns, the artist who creates their most moving work during personal crisis, the community that comes together during natural disasters—all embody this principle of light enhanced by darkness. Furthermore, the tree doesn’t apologize for the darkness around it or feel responsible for fixing it. It simply shines, offering what it has to offer. This models a healthy relationship with the world’s problems: we can be sources of light without bearing the impossible burden of eliminating all darkness. We can contribute to healing without claiming to cure every wound. We can offer hope without promising to solve every problem.
Modern psychology has begun to understand what poets and philosophers have long known: that our mental and emotional states can indeed generate their own form of light. Positive psychology research shows that practices like gratitude, mindfulness, and acts of kindness can create measurable changes in brain chemistry, leading to increased resilience and well-being. The luminous tree serves as a perfect metaphor for this internal transformation. Like the tree, we can cultivate our own inner light through conscious practice and intention. The tree’s branches, heavy with glowing foliage, might represent the accumulated moments of joy, connection, and meaning that we gather throughout our lives. A single tree, no matter how luminous, is remarkable but perhaps lonely. Trees in nature form vast underground networks, sharing nutrients and information through fungal connections that scientists call the “wood wide web.” The luminous tree, in its solitary beauty, reminds us that individual enlightenment is powerful, but it’s even more transformative when shared. Consider how one person’s inner light can illuminate others. Teachers who inspire students, parents who model resilience for their children, friends who offer hope during difficult times—all are living examples of the luminous tree principle. Their light doesn’t diminish when shared; instead, it creates the conditions for others to discover their own inner glow.
How does this piece make you feel?
I like how the edges of the tree seem to blend into the city, like the very different urban environment is a natural extension of the tree.
Very good piece, I think it is also significant that the tree seems to be eclipsing the city.