Faoi Bhláth (In Bloom)

There is a kind of joy that doesn’t wait for perfect conditions – a way of seeing the world that chooses light, even in the most unlikely places. This painting draws on the Irish-language poem Na Blátha Craige (The Rock Flowers) by Liam Ó Flaithearta, where flowers on a cliff edge are questioned by the author for their harsh surroundings – the rock, the wind, the absence of warmth.

Yet their answer is unwavering: they are not diminished by where they are. They are captivated by it. They find beauty in the view and sound of the sea, in things that others overlook.

Fragments of the poem emerge through the surface, some obscured or subdued, but it is the words of the flowers that come through with the most clarity and life – instinctive and present. This visual shift echoes the poem itself, where perspective transforms everything. The work reflects the same idea, that even within constraint or imperfection, there is a way of seeing that brings light, joy and a renewed sense of possibility.

Nude and pink tones carry warmth and openness, with a textured surface that feels both grounded and expansive. There is a sense of quiet strength here, of choosing to flourish, not because everything is easy, but because you have found your own perspectives and way of being.