Guiding Light

Guiding Light

2026
Pencil, archival ink and gold leaf on paper

Unframed: 25 × 30 cm
Framed: 40x 50 cm

Guiding Light explores the quiet relationship between guidance and discovery. A parent bird moves carefully through shallow water while a young chick follows close behind, mirroring its movements and learning the rhythms of the world through observation, trust, and instinct.

Created with pencil and archival ink pen on canvas sheet, the work is composed of thousands of meticulously drawn marks. The delicate linework captures the fragility of both birds while simultaneously conveying resilience and purpose. The still water below reflects their forms, creating a visual dialogue between reality and possibility, experience and potential, the present self and the self yet to emerge.

The gold leaf elements introduce a symbolic dimension to the composition. The radiant disc suspended above the birds evokes both the sun and a guiding star, representing wisdom, illumination, and the unseen forces that help shape our journeys. Throughout history, gold has symbolised permanence, value, and enlightenment. Here it becomes a metaphor for the knowledge, care, and encouragement passed from one generation to the next.

At its heart, Guiding Light examines the duality of dependence and independence. The young bird remains sheltered by the presence of its parent, yet every step forward is also an act of becoming. The work reflects the delicate balance between protection and freedom, reminding us that true guidance is not about controlling another's path but providing the confidence to walk it alone.

Through Guiding Light, Julie Baum invites viewers to reflect upon the people who have shaped their lives through wisdom, patience, and example. The work celebrates mentorship, nurturing, and the enduring influence of those who quietly illuminate the way forward.