Painting titled '1979'

This is my latest painting based on the 'Girl' series of work that I have focussed on since October 2013.  This work is titled '1979' for the obvious reason that the story behind it took place in 1979.

1979, oil painting on board, 110cmx110cm

My mum's partner at that time used to come over to our house at drive out to the Pennine hills or where ever, usually on the motorway.  He was a trainee dentist and had a couple of cars, one a red MG and the other a yellow Spitfire.  Both cars had soft tops that could be taken off.  This guy loved doing that even in the winter.  I hated it.  Driving down the motorway at 80mph (or more) with me in the in back clinging onto the chair in front.  I was sure I was going to be sucked out of the car, there were no seat belts in the back (no cars did in those days) and the sides of the car were really low.  This was the situation each time we went out anywhere until the one occasion when he came over to take us out to Chester Zoo in the summer of 1979.  He had hired a 'proper' car with a permanent roof (I think the other cars were being repaired).  It was an immense relief seeing that car.  I knew that I would get to see the zoo rather than get sucked out of the car.  I have been told that my drawings and I suppose my paintings are scary.  Maybe that childhood memory is coming through.  I have also been told that my work is very tense due to the detail.  When you have tense memories that inspire the work you do, then the work will turn out tense.  It's part of the explanation maybe for why I don't currently do any artwork that is relaxing.