I’m not completely arachnophobic, but having a huntsman spider drop on my arm in the dark when a teenager (me, not the spider) was enough to make me constantly aware of the little devils from then on. In my studio shed there are plenty of nooks and crannies to house lots little creatures. In fact before I converted the little shed into a painting area it was host to the odd rat and mouse. When moving an old wardrobe thing out for the garbage there was a mummified rat underneath it. Goodness knows what it died of, but its petrified carcass caused no little interest for the boys of the family. I don’t get to see all that many spiders in the shed, but I kind of know they are there somewhere and those that are spotted are dispatched pretty quickly. There’s no way I can paint knowing some monstrous hairy huntsman is on the loose! Catching a fleeting glimpse of something scoot behind the easel is not conducive to artistic endeavour. So, a message to all those little visitors and inhabitants of the studio – just keep out of sight and we shall all be happy!