Anxiety, Oxford Road, London

I've been thinking about how to draw or paint emotions.  Emotions can be difficult to verbally express and I really fail at this.  I decided that the abstract approach was best when dealing with emotions.  I haven't been able to produce any art since the middle of May due to very demanding work commitments (16 hours days including weekends).  I basically do a year's work in 2 and a half months.  It suits me to a point because it frees up my time for the rest of the year, however when I am working I do suffer a lot from stress, anxiety, IBS etc, all the things I used to suffer from when I worked full time all through the year as a teacher.  As part of my work commitments I attend meetings in various parts of the country.  One such meeting is based in London where I had to go for two days.  London is not the most autistic friendly place with the noise, too many people too much traffic that is aggressive, too much smell, just too much.  My hotel was located in South Kensington about 7 miles from where my meeting was.  I stupidly thought that walking would be better than the tube.  I walked all the way down Oxford Road.  This is the most hellish road I have ever walked down.  I'm sure it's bad to none autistic people, but for an autistic person this is hell on earth.  It took me hours walking down that road.  By the time I reached the hotel I was not in a good way.  It made me think about anxiety and how I should try and express it through my art.  So, after months of work, I am now finished and this is my first attempt at a picture showing emotion, in particular anxiety and the barrier that it creates.

Anxiety, Oxford Road, London 2016, oil pastel and pencil on paper, A4