It began with a feeling to paint, to immerse myself in colour. I was experimenting with the effect of different colours on my state of mind, and well being, inspired by a visit to ‘Colourscape ’in the 80’s.

Having decided to start with primary colours, I bought oil paints, paint brushes, built and primed canvases, and was ready to paint with oils for the first time, I had the tools but was stuck to what to do. Staring at the canvas, with a tin of red cadmium paint and a large brush in hand I was as blank as the canvas. I needed purpose or reason to take action, and yet I wanted to just do it, to paint like a child paints with freedom and no perception of the finished artwork. I asked myself how would a child start? Before I knew it I had dipped the brush into the paint and went to the surface of the canvas. What would a child do? Think basic, fundamental shapes, and simple flowing actions. As the paint marked the surface, the natural relaxed flow of my arm and hand took charge and I found I was creating a circular movement. I quickly covered the entire surface area in red paint, and emerging from the middle was the circle shape.

When reflecting on the experience, I realised that the circle represented so many things that resonated with me, it was simple shape, it was a focus point, it could be a viewfinder, it is the shape of the Earth, Sun, Moon and planets . The circle is a universal symbol with extensive meaning, representing the notions of totality, wholeness, original perfection, the Self, the infinite, eternity, timelessness, all cyclic movement, God ('God is a circle whose centre is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere' (Hermes Trismegistus)).