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

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.

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.

Practical! On Wednesday afternoons I could be practically anything. What's up?

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

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

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