As an artist I have worked with children, people with learning difficulties, people with mental health problems and older people in retirement homes. I've also been what is called an 'Artist in the Community' which usually entails painting over graffiti covered walls with the help of local kids, usually those who did the graffiti in the first place. I must admit I think I prefer the graffiti to the community art stuff, there's a lot of spray can talent about, some of these artists could make good money from their designs instead of letting middle class art educated young designers rip off their stuff.

I enjoy watching chidren paint and draw, there is such an uninhibited use of colour and line. the tactile quality of paint attracts children brush, finger or hand it's all the same to a five year old. I'm also amazed by the amount of concerntration and attention to detail young children bring to their drawings, to hear a child talk through a painting or drawing is wonderful, sometimes they edit their work as they describe details, thinking through the image and trying to add more information to the image with words as if by describing something the word magically adds sense to a blob of colour, the magic of naming I suppose you could call it.