Happy All Your Life, 2017

Happy All Your Life, 2017

New Omagh Hospital and Primary Care Complex
Commissioned by: Western Health and Social Care Trust – Arts Committee
Architects: Todd Architects
Main Contractor: McLaughlin and Harvey Ltd
Project Detail
Materials: Artwork in ceramics
Techniques: Printed/illustrated and textured individual ceramic shapes
Dimensions: 11m
Description:
Individual ceramic shapes form aspects of a garden – cultivated flowers, birds, insects, wildflowers and a view through a garden gate.
These shapes flow upwards along the stairwell and create a movement through the hospital space.
Concept:
Inspired by the Proverb
“If you would be happy for a week take a wife, if you would be happy for a month kill a pig, but if you would be happy all your life plant a garden” 
This piece takes the form of flowers, birds, leaves and insects that create a movement across the space by the way they are placed, reflecting the flow of people throughout the hospital. 
The concept reflects the therapeutic and healing effects that gardening and nature has on our physical and mental wellbeing as well as providing a little humour for anyone who can find the words written into the leaves. 
Community workshops were set up with Killyclogher Senior Citizens Club and six local primary schools which resulted in a number of artworks  inspired by nature were placed in niches along the hospital corridor. Workshops with students from Drumragh Integrated College resulted in a ceramic piece based on DNA strands and images with words inspired by Seamus Heaney poetry.