Breathe Into The Notes

Have you ever been captivated by the rhythm and movement of an accordion player? There’s something completely absorbing about it, the way the music seems to expand and contract with every pull of the bellows. It’s a compelling experience, one that can draw you inward, steadying you into your own thoughts and your own internal tempo. With this piece, my intention was to evoke that quiet connection that forms in a session: between the spectator and the player, and between the player and the neighbouring musicians who are listening, responding, and building the tune together.

This painting is part of a series of eight Irish musical artists, collectively inspired by the lively, mesmerizing traditional music scene found across Ireland’s cosy pubs. The monochrome style and faceless subject are deliberate, leaving space for your imagination to do what music always does best: fill in the details. Rather than fixing the scene to one specific place or moment, I wanted it to feel like a doorway back to your own memories of trad sessions, where the room is warm, the tunes are familiar, and the accordion anchors everything.