A little Bit About Me!
Hi, I'm Ciara
I’m an abstract expressionist artist based in Northern Ireland, and I’ve been creating for as long as I can remember.
Even during my years working as an occupational therapist and complementary therapist, art was always there — the quiet thread running through everything. But it wasn’t until I became a mum to my two beautiful children that I finally gave myself permission to step fully into this creative life. That natural break from the 9–5 was the nudge I needed to follow the whisper that had always been there… to become a full-time artist.
I’m completely self-taught and started out making textile art — weaving colour and texture into fabric — before falling head over heels for abstract expressionism. That’s when everything just clicked.
Painting felt like home.
These days, you’ll usually find me in my garden studio with paint in my hair, a strong cup of tea nearby, and music playing in the background.
I paint intuitively — often led by energy, emotion, and light — and I pour so much heart into every canvas.
My work is now collected all around the world, which still blows me away. It’s the most humbling feeling to know that something I created with my hands and soul now lives in someone else’s home — and means something to them.
About my art
People often say my paintings have a dreamlike quality — like the edge of a memory or a place you once knew.
One of my favourite descriptions of my work came from a lovely collector, and it still feels like the truest reflection:
“Ciara applies paint in a variety of ever-changing brushstrokes — from soft and blended to loose and expressive. Her swathes of colour blur and bleed into one another, skimming over textured layers to create images that transcend reality. A distant horizon often emerges, hinting at land, light, or something mystical just out of reach.
There’s a dance of contrast in every piece — from bold, moody tones to soft, gentle hues. The mood shifts too — sometimes peaceful and contemplative, other times alive with energy. Light is a guiding force, creating a hypnotic, celestial feel. Colours ripple and drift like clouds across the canvas, evoking a sense of calm, joy, and connection.”
If you're reading this and something stirs — a feeling, a memory, a sense of peace — then you’re in exactly the right place.
Thanks so much for being here.
Ciara x
Fun Facts About Me...
💡I have been painting for over 30 years now (don't try to work out my age 🙈🤣)
💡I used to be a university lecturer in occupational therapy.
💡Before embracing abstract art, I created art by cutting up my kids' clothes and sewing them with a sewing machine.
💡I'm a very spiritual person and am an Integrated Energy Therapist and Reiki Master, Angel card reader and reflexologist!
💡I use my connection to divine light to infuse my paintings with healing energy, love and blessings.
💡I looooove animals and have fostered and rescued lots of little furbabies
💡I'm a sucker for mint & chocolate, mint twirl being my new favourite treat of choice!
💡I come from a creative gene pool - my great grandfather was a stone mason and my mum is a sculptor.
💡I love gardening, and the plants and flowers I grow are a direct inspiration for my paintings
💡I love teaching about art and business and get really excited when it's time to chat to the artists in my Accelerator programme every month!
💡I meditate everyday and use manifesting techniques to create abundance and happiness in my life.
💡I'm a workshop junkie. I have taken so many online courses in art 🎨, business💻 and spirituality 😇 I've lost count!
💡I was painfully shy as a child and really only got over it in my 20's but I'm definitely in the introverted category as an adult!
💡I was spiritually guided to start experimenting in abstract art even though I didn't even like it or rate it at the time! 🤯
Now look what's happened 😇🙏😇🙏😇🙏