AN artist who drew a self-portrait every day for 40 days during lockdown will be showcasing her work at an exhibition in Wellington.

Maisie Parker, from Wiveliscombe, has been working as an artist since she retired in 1995 from teaching art in London.

Her latest exhibition ‘Lockdown Diary’ captures her experience of the first 40 days of lockdown through mixed-media self portraits.

Maisie, 83, said: “I decided to draw myself each day to record my feelings. I have made self-portraits all my life but this was a necessary action for me to take in these circumstances. I needed to see how my feelings would change over however long this nightmare lasted.”

At first, Maisie found it difficult to limit herself to one A2 drawing.

“It pleased me, but it was quite bland. It represented me accurately but with not much passion. The next day I used coloured inks; red, yellow, blue; small short strokes with a brush and drawn into with pen and Indian ink. I liked this better. It looked like me but wasn't me.”

Maisie continued creating self-portraits every day.

“As I continued, the backgrounds began to take on more significance. I noticed flames appearing from my head and then from all around me. These flames didn't stay where flames should be but traveled across the page at will.”

When Maisie neared the end of the experience, she decided to make one last defining picture.

“I started with oil pastel in turquoise and orange which I erased with white spirit. I worked into it in pen and Indian ink, hatching and cross-hatching a large web of lines.

“The eyes were enormous and the lids shaded with bright blue pastel and the lips became a diagonal gash of vermillion spread across onto the cheeks.

‘Lockdown Diary’ will be shown at The Old Brick Workshop from March 7 to 15.