I’m curious by profession — it takes me on surprising journeys.

Whether it’s by the coast or driving along Ireland’s country lanes, I'm always searching. It's about the tussle between reality and abstraction, people and place, past and present.

In this case, a row of houses clinging to a steep hill aroused my curiosity. Rounding a corner to the back alley, sunlight broke over a solid mass of converging geometric shapes. A rusted tin roof drew me into the composition. Steps led my eye upward into the narrowing, as a sudden noise sent a rush of birds out of the darkness toward me.

A minimal colour palette and the interplay of angles pushes this composition towards abstraction. The red roof and steps anchor the scene. Amid the subtle muted tones, structures emerge - the hint of a green hill, a slither of skyline among the chimney pots.

There is a sense of movement as the steps draw you into the painting and the birds take you out again. The result is curious and unexpected — exactly what I was searching for that day.