In September 2020 despite the pandemic, I organized a sculpture trail at St Mary’s Allotments, Leamington. We weren’t expecting much footfall because of people’s anxieties about catching the virus but visitors did turn up. During two weekends approx. 100 people came to this beautiful spot and they enjoyed a combination of nature, fresh air and art. A general feeling of mental well-being was generated by these components. The feedback from the visitors was extremely positive. Of course, we all know that walking in nature is healthy and that it releases tension but if you add art to these facts, it adds an extra layer of mental relaxation and stimulation.

Colour, for me, is the key. I will set down the base and work on layers of inter-related hues and tones which create a mood that resonates inside me. There is no formula, just a reaction. As I work, I find excitement mounting, subtle, but definitely there when hues interact and create a charge. The ‘snake effect’, let’s call it. The mind is driven to find patterns - the rope in the long grass needs to look like a snake so that we can jump out the way. Better than being bitten by an adder. It is that ancient instinctual reaction which is triggered when we look at a work of art and our ability to let go of thought and to allow the image to ‘take’ us, defines the quality of our experience.