This is the front cover for a story I am writing, about two Japanese Maikos (apprentice Geishas) who have adventures under the sea. Sometimes the shape of Japan is compared to a seahorse. I am in love will all things to do with traditional Japan.

I have been making collages and thinking of starting my own magazine called ‘The Storyteller’, the first one will be about ‘oceans and seas’

Welcoming weeds into my tiny garden, I now have nettles, and apple mint, taller than my little apple tree. It’s a pleasure to sit in the sunshine and see nature re-establishing itself, even in the cracks of the concrete path, like this dandelion. Later the garden will be filled with bees and butterflies, and blackberries amongst the brambles.

During lockdown2020 I have been drawn to things around my house: small, seemingly, insignificant details, that my have caught my eye during these many still moments and, with time to capture and reflect, began to document them with my iPhone camera. Lately, as an aside from that, I have started a series of seeing ‘faces’ within my immediate surroundings. This image I found on the surface of a cooking pot, which had been left to soak on the side of the kitchen sink.

Painting a rainbow for our window, to thank the wonderful keyworkers.

A local family walk for wellbeing and an appreciation of how fortunate we are.

Avenue of trees with a path of daffodils between

A positive from lockdown has been more time to slow down and attend the veg patch. Gardening is great for mental health in itself but with the rise of nutritional psychiatry and the recognition that food really does effect mood, there’s never been a better time to get outside and grow your own!

A mindful sunset walk during lockdown to escape the bombardment of news. Taken from the banks of Hambleton Peninsula, Rutland Water.

A blue painted residential house with blue sky background.

A weedy garden was transformed with a packet of seeds

This is pencil sketch depicts myself, a sufferer of Trichotillomania. The condition is a compulsive hair pulling disorder. Emphasising the rawness and nakedness of the self; this artwork seeks to remove the stigma associated with bald women- the concept of women having long flowing locks has been completely removed and regenerated into a piece presenting a new realm of modern beauty. The initial pencil strokes and lines are retained to emphasise a natural state of womanhood.

Focus on what brings you happiness.

Focus on the bright things in life.

Water colour of the Scottish countryside in Spring. During Lockdown my daughter enjoyed getting out walking and seeing the Lambs

Water colour image

Using wool dyed with things I found on my daily walk, in the garden, around the house and donated by neighbours, I wove my version of my lockdown map

During lockdown, when we were allowed out just once a day. We are lucky enough to live near the River Stort and we used to regularly walk along the canal, and seeing and feeling nature all around me made me relax my mind.

I took this picture at Stourhead National Trust I love the lighting on the leaves and the contrasting and striking blue sky, which allows my mind to grow and float away into the clouds.

Portrait of nurse Nande wearing PPE

Portrait of Giang lying on a floor upside down

What a gift this was. I looked up the meaning and these are often seen in traditions as representing endurance, change, hope, and life. A perfect message for these times – #ArtLiftingLockdown

This scene seemed such a good metaphor for all the things going on at present – a sign to remember the sun is always shining behind the clouds – Rainbows are often seen as signs as positive change – a beautiful scene to witness during lockdown – #ArtLiftingLockdown

This scene seemed such a good metaphor for all the things going on at present – a sign to remember the sun is always shining behind the clouds – Rainbows are often seen as signs as positive change – a beautiful scene to witness during lockdown – #ArtLiftingLockdown

Painted in April during the lockdown this piece measures 20×30 inches and is in oil. Taken from an old photograph of mine I had been planning to paint it for a couple of years and am now pleased with the result.

I painted this in watercolour during lockdown. I took a photo, several years ago of a Kingfisher I saw on a dog walk. Seeing it raised my spirits so I thought painting it might help too… and it did. I hadn’t painted using watercolour for around 40 years and never using any knowledge of techniques so I was very happy with the results.

Painted during the lockdown I returned to this subject after a smaller ..simpler piece I made in 2014. it measures 29×46 inches and is an acrylic work

A connection with nature is important to me to foster a sense of wellbeing. Friendly nature spirits reside in woodlands, and reward those who look after the forest. Ink pen.

The space to dream, the space to create. Ink pen.

Polly the Jack Russell. Doggy friends help keep spirits lifted during the lockdown.

Trees against a gorgeous sunset sky, early spring around the beginning of the lockdown.

I am Polly, my sister hates spiders, I love them. I found this amazing ‘spider mansion’. It had 100’s of baby spiders creeping around inside, protected by a huge web that their mummy made for them to live in.

My grandpa has a shed, if anything goes in broken, it comes out as good as new. He is amazing. He has been spending quite a bit of time in his shed during lockdown. He even fitted an intercom to call grandma for a cup of tea.

This is a photo of a pine cone that I painted during lockdown. Rainbows were everywhere. I decided to paint each edge in a different colour, which made it look pretty. My mum said it make her smile and it is inspiring to have in the house. The close up photo shows all the details of it and I have noticed it changes with the weather. Magical.

Floral illustration to say thank you.

Spring blossom bringing positivity during these uncertain times.

A digitally illustrated piece inspired by the daily task of finding entertainment within our own homes during lockdown. Without the ability to travel or even leave our homes, we are forced to reconsider our daily lives and reimagine things which may have seemed mundane previously in order to find joy in the ordinary.

I have always thought that daisies are delicate, cheerful, and pretty, during lockdown in April, I had been painting this picture in the garden and my mum bought be some daisies back from her daily exercise in the park (She bought them back as she knows I love them and Daisy is actually my middle name too). I scattered them on the painting and the shadows from the sun made them look amazing. I think this artwork makes you smile when you look at it because of the strong shapes and colours.

During lockdown, we planted lots of seeds, and this work was inspired by their growth from the soil and up through the ground. I have painted a few pictures in this style, with running droplets of colour.

This is a painting inspired by my garden I did a few weeks ago. During lockdown we have spent a lot of time in the garden – I love looking at the flowers and chasing butterflies. When I made the picture, I accidentally knocked the paper causing the droplets of colour to run in the water, however I love this effect and have created more like it.

“All truly great thoughts are conceived by walking.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

A bench in the garden of my main workplace, where I work as a Music Psychotherapist