Stop all the clocks... Painting

I was inspired to paint this image in reaction to my experience of the lockdown during the Corona Virus outbreak. Normality just stopped as if time itself was paused. In some ways this was wonderful in that I now had time to stop and look at everything, especially the natural world. The weather was strangely perfect and I walked and walked through the nearby countryside where I lived, enjoying the unfurling spring. Blossom and wild flowers came and went in succession marking the progress of the season. To have time to experience the sounds, smells and beauty of nature lessened my anxiety surrounding the crisis. The dandelion, which flowers in profusion at this time of year, seemed to encapsulate my feelings. Considered an unwelcome weed by gardeners, who sadly don't recognise its beauty, I have always had sneaking regard for it. As children, when the flower had transformed into the gossamer seedhead (the 'clock'), we used to blow the the tiny parachutes bearing the individual seeds, counting the number of puffs to strip them all away. Each puff was counted as one hour (to give us a very imprecise indication of the time of day) hence the nickname 'clock'. The concerned look on the woman's face, the stillness of the perfect seedhead, attempts to express in a metaphorical way this strange interlude in my life. I used my favourite model, a woman who has modelled for me for many years. She has this unique ability to express whatever psychological condition I suggest, no matter how subtle. The painted surface is very smooth - I suppose I am odd in that I like to make the brushwork invisible so that the viewer looks at the narrative, not the way the paint was applied.