The majority of these paintings were conceived after March 2020.  Having brought them together for this Open Studio I realise now that they have one thing in common – they have all been influenced by and resulted from the command to ‘Stay at Home’ and the profound effect that had on our lives. Suddenly to lose our everyday freedoms led to thoughts of Rapunzel, trapped in her tower, waiting for her hair to grow and unsure of how long this would take or how long her incarceration would last. Her future relied on a passing prince to rescue her so she could live happily after – a little like us in lockdown? ‘Other Tales’ include figures squashed and confined by their canvas frames, others finding solace in books and reading. Flowers also begin to feature with an ambiguity as to whether they denote celebration or condolence. During the first lockdown we longed for our daily ‘one hour ‘walks and became aware of the trees and creatures around us that were free from these restrictions, so these also began to creep into the paintings, pigeons, squirrels and the green parakeets in Clissold Park.