The Breath
'The Breath' was inspired by rolling waves, sunny daze, stillness and the invigoration of a pause.
It started life during a beachwalk in the dunes above Garretstown beach on one of those slow, short days between Christmas and New Year. My friend and I filled up on gusts of great, fresh air that seemed to blow off the cobwebs of Christmastime and the years past. The sun on the sea is a balm at any time but especially in late December.
That time marked the end of a big restoration project (my home and studio) and the beginning of what feels like a new life in a new setting. It did feel like catching my breath after a very intense time of challenge, change and growth.
These paintings were made slowly in my new studio. It was a balm to begin and tinker through them in this new, light filled space. They feel like a middle moment - a bit of magic - that connects the past and some moodier moments with the freshness of the future and rolling waves.
Ps. On a sidenote: I've been reading around how the breath affects us scientifically and spiritually while listening to the glorious sounds of Ríoghnach Connolly and Stuart McCallum (https://thebreathmusic.com) and they have had more than a little influence in this collection.
