I’ve always loved seeing the painted boxes around Dublin. They are such an ordinary part of the city, yet Dublin Canvas turns them into small pieces of public art that people can discover as they walk around. For years, I imagined that one day I would get the chance to paint one myself. So, when that opportunity finally came, I was incredibly excited.
I decided to call my piece “The River’s Dream” because I wanted to create something that felt dreamy, playful and connected to Dublin.
Dublin Canvas
For one side of the box, I took inspiration from something I’ve always found ridiculously cute: swans feeding from the bottom of the river. It is such a simple everyday moment, but I wanted to romanticise it and turn it into something slightly magical. I love finding beauty in ordinary things, and this felt like the perfect opportunity to do that.
For the other side, I looked towards Irish folklore and took inspiration from Children of Lir. I wanted to bring a little piece of Irish mythology into the artwork while still keeping my own visual language and love of nature.
Moreover, this Dublin Canvas project felt particularly special to me because I wasn’t creating something for a gallery or a private collection. Instead, the artwork would become part of the city itself. People might walk past it every day, perhaps without knowing who painted it, or they might suddenly stop and notice the details.
That is what I love about public art. It can appear unexpectedly in the middle of an ordinary journey and give someone a tiny moment of imagination.
So, if you’re walking around Dublin and come across The River’s Dream, take a picture and tag me. I’d love to see my little piece of imagination becoming part of your day.
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Happy inking! 🎀