I've always been fascinated by the surreal atmosphere which pervades the circus and its performers. Whenever I go to the circus or read a book on it, I find myself focusing on the performers themselves, thinking about their everyday lives rather than their acts. I’m struck by how disturbing and weird it all is, yet sad at the same time. In my painting, "Big Top Skippy", I have attempted to portray an element of this sadness and weirdness. We see a group of misfits trying out for the circus, a place where freaks, losers and assorted oddballs can very often become the stars, both in the side show and under the big top. They really think they will become circus stars, they think their acts are fantastic, they have no idea. See Skippy marching around on a ball, clutching her fork and spoon and trying with all her might not to fall off. The quadropus has four arms, but can’t keep those balls in the air. And Bloo, the strange tiny elephant, thinks it’s the greatest show on earth. And it is.