The symbolism in my work comes from all sorts of things. It's usually deliberate but probably done subconsciously as well. There are many Celtic influences in my work too. Well, I've always been interested in the strange and wonderful creatures of mythology and legend, but I like to create my own creatures, ones which are more personal to me. As for inspiration, I think a keen observation of nature and wildlife in general, has given me a good base upon which to build.
Dragonflies are particularly fascinating.
Sometimes the paths are boundaries. There are very few paintings which depict real roads as most of my scenes and landscapes are imaginary. Actually, I hardly ever paint straightforward views of the Lake District, though some of my landscapes are influenced by, or roughly based on an area there called Buttermere. I spent a great deal of time there when I was growing up, and it continues to inspire me today. I quite often use the shapes of a very striking range of fells there, but I don't tend to paint many real landscapes at all.