I have been working on this collection of paintings in response to my ongoing recovery from Long Covid. It is inspired by the simple word “Breathe”, and what  that has meant to me during the course of the Covid pandemic. During my initial Covid infection, which happened right at the beginning of the pandemic, in March 2020, I found it very difficult to breathe. During my recovery from Long Covid, it has been important for me to relearn how to breathe correctly. At the same time, I’ve been using mindfulness and breath as a way to calm body and mind, which has helped my recovery.  

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The abstract acrylic landscape paintings that form this collection reflect the emotions experienced when spending time out in nature. Incorporated in each one of these paintings is an element that represents the Morse code for the word “breathe”. In some of the works, this takes the form of a series of painted dots and dashes; while in others, there is a long horizontal line across the painting, across which are groups of long and short vertical lines, where the short  lines represent dots and the long lines represent dashes. The line of Morse code also works as a line of reflection within these paintings. This line of reflection alludes to the idea of looking at the world around us from a different point of view, to try out new perspectives. Lockdown brought with it a real appreciation of the benefit of spending time in green space.

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Getting out into nature provides me with a real boost to my  mental  health.  "Breathe" is not just a prompt to spend time breathing in fresh air, but also to stop  and appreciate the sights, sounds and smells of the natural world.