If you look closely you can see that they are all interconnected, symbolic of a never-ending circle in which it is simply impossible for the dog to catch the rabbit.

The dog, the rabbit and the hoop all feature in the painting, and take the place of the orrery.

It inspired all sorts of whims and fancies that I ultimately wove into a fairy tale complete with muse, the earth, the moon, some famous inventors, a dog and a rabbit.

The hoop is there to remind us not to jump through it, not to submit to someone else's control.

Having designed and built several clocks during my career it suddenly occurred to me that when you look at the face of a clock both hands have the same center.

In practical terms the South Pointing Chariot was a simple direction finder. It could have been made to point in any direction - north, south, east or west.

You see, my ambition was not to confound the engineering world but simply to create a beautiful piece of art.