EARLY ARTWORK My mother gave every encouragement by providing an endless supply of paper and colouring crayons, and at the age of 14 months my aimless scribbles became meaningful drawings. One day she drew a row of kittens in party dresses, and invited me to colour their garments and provide each kitten with a balloon. I was much influenced by two books: "Ballet Design: Past and Present" and "Where the Rainbow Ends" and also by being given a home-made toy theatre for Christmas 1947, capable of presenting several pantomimes.
From the age of three I was obsessed with actresses and dancers in decorative costumes, often framed in a proscenium arch, luxuriantly draped curtains, a fairly sparce audience in front, some in hats, and occasionally with ash-trays in the backs of the seats. Smoking was allowed in theatres in those days. The short-skirted ballerinas had unusually well developed calf muscles. Circus scenes, cowboys and Indians with their horses also predominated, with suns, guns, flying bullets and startled birds.
