The world inside my head is a hive of activity. Much of it clutter. Even if I could sort it out, I have no plans to share it with others.

I also often find that the proliferation of images and information in the real world outside my head overwhelming. The Polish Artist Bartek Materka talks of the “Optical overload” of the external world in the 21st century, so it seems I’m not alone.

My art is the one area where I can control what I make. I begin with a photograph of something ordinary, everyday, overlooked. In the past my subjects have included shop doorways, street furniture, dustbins, factory chimneys, the pipes and wires in the power station. My aim is to transform the ordinary into the exceptional, the eye-catching, the beautiful.

My current work is inspired by the humble cardboard box. I photographed the proliferation in my house as a result of Covid. I chose the more unusual compositions and set about eliminating the clutter. Then I analysed what remained, identifying the geometric shapes. By now the image is more abstract and I can choose how to interpret it.

If I am painting, I select my colours with the aim of harmony. In homage to Helio Oiticica my palette is limited to yellow, gold, orange and brown. I apply the paint with foam rollers because I want a smooth, even finish. Nothing should disturb the purity of the colour. For a while the clutter in my head is gone. I focus. I meditate.

I recently made some simple sculptures inspired by the geometric shapes in my paintings. These have an interesting, ambiguous quality with a scope beyond the works themselves.