This Contemporary Irish Textiles piece was inspired by my time living at the Old Head of Kinsale. Each day I would talk the shore, the beaches, the headland, listening to the land and the sea and attempting to make sense of it all.

As I wove, I thought about all of the unanswered questions. Feeling so isolated and removed from life ‘on the mainland’ as they say here. Under the stars on clear nights, there was such a feeling of being connected, to the vast and infinite space that we traverse together. In this Contemporary Irish Textiles wall hanging, I expand beyond the frame.

I felt as though I’d broken down the boundaries within me to reach this place. And so felt drawn to weave over and outside the frame. Breaking old patterns and behaviours, perhaps. And when I chose Marsh Marigold as its plant essence I smiled. This essence is often associated with boundaries, about knowing what is yours and what belongs to the other. And here lies the dilemma in the piece.

When we are so interconnected to land sea and stars, where are our boundaries? And how do we continue to travel through life knowing when to hold firm, staying strong and when to open ourselves up the magic?