For much of these last two years of pandemic, it’s been difficult to arm myself against the ongoing anxiety so many of us have experienced, and the new narrowness of life. Like most artists – like most people – I need to be nourished by current exhibitions and travel to new places, as well as the ordinary rhythm of life; starting the day with coffee and a slice in my local caff suddenly wasn’t an option.

Spending time in the studio became more of an effort than hitherto. Of course, many artists and musicians managed to keep up a prodigious output during this troubled time, but I didn’t feel I was one of them – until I sat down this January to take a good look at what I’d actually produced over these two years. To my surprise, it’s more than I had thought!

Gathering it all together here, I can definitely see some common threads not unconnected to my feelings during the pandemic. At the risk of inflicting amateur art therapy on myself, I can discern a longed-for transition to normality, as the eye leaps across a void from one distinct area to another.

I’ve also had time to experiment with Gelli- plate printing. Nothing is more delightful than a sense of play and discovery in the studio, and this medium has given me exactly that gift. I do recommend googling ‘Gelli plate printing’ to see how it’s done and especially watching the wonderfully motivating on-line videos of Carolyn Dube.

Gelli print collage Christmas cards 2020

Shopping on line for new art materials was one of the few joys of lockdown. I found myself making minimalist collages combining adventurous new acrylic gels with unusual papers.