Radiance - Iona

Original acrylic on canvas by David Page. 

This painting is one of David's new 2026 collection, Grit and Grace: Iona. 

Each painting in the exhibition is accompanied by a limited edition, large-format book, featuring the full collection and David's insightful personal notes.

ARTIST'S DESCRIPTION:

Adomnán's Book III is filled with narratives of how St Columba harnessed the light of ‘Angels’. This concluding painting was inspired by Chapter 3 which captures one particular moment:

“...St Columba too entered the Lord's house. With his arrival the whole church was filled with a golden light shining from the heights of heaven. Even in his shut-off side-chapel, where Fergnae tried as best he could to lie concealed, the brilliance of that heavenly light came through the inner door of the chamber, which was not completely closed, and filled the room, causing Fergnae no little sense of fear. In the same way that no one is able to look directly at the sun at midday in summer without being dazzled, so Fergnae could not bear that heavenly brightness, for it was brighter than any light and completely dazzled his sight. Its radiance filled him with fear, so that his strength failed him utterly.”

Want to learn more about the collection? Read David's full artist statement here.