Hiraeth: Mixed Media Collage

“Hiraeth,” I said softly.

She tilted her head, waiting.

“That’s what you’re feeling,” I explained. “There’s no exact equivalent in English. It’s a deep longing for home, more profound than homesickness, more substantial than nostalgia. It’s the way you feel for a home you never had and the home you dream of having. It’s an emptiness that can never quite be filled, but it, in itself, fills you.”

–A Study In Garnet: Ladies of Baker Street Book 1

Hiraeth is a mixed media collage that explores a beautiful Welsh concept of home and longing that doesn’t have an exact translation in English. This collage pays tribute to that origin with bright yellow daffodils (a national symbol of Wales) set against a deep purple and gold background. A vintage postcard, an illustration of a country cottage, and Victorian images of swallows (symbolizing the desire to return home) draw the eye to the central message: “Hiraeth: the way you feel for a home you never had.”

Original: 6×6 inches (15.24 cm x 15.24 cm) canvas-wrapped board, mixed media collage (acrylic, paper, metallic wax) sealed in clear acrylic gloss. Includes optional adhesive hook for hanging, or can be framed. (Only 1 available.)

Print: 7×7 inches (15.24 cm x 15.24 cm) suitable for matting or framing (you’ll have to trim the border for a 6×6 frame), please allow up to 3 working days to create print before shipping.