My name is Julie Barker and I am mainly a one-armed left-handed artist. I used to be a teaching assistant in an infant school and was amazed at how free young children are with their art. They see no limits and can see things in our environment that most adults miss. So when they draw something it may not look as we see it, but it looks how they see it.

I have always enjoyed art and have always drawn, mainly pen and ink leaning towards geometric designs. But I can't do this anymore sadly.

I have nerve damage in my right arm, I'm right-handed, so I am unable to draw now. I had to find another outlet for my artistic tendencies. Then I found some videos of acrylic pouring and thought ‘I could do that!’

That couldn't have been any further away from my geometric drawings if I'd tried!

I found that this filled the void quite nicely. I love the way the paint is so unpredictable; it finds its own designs. I can guide, choose technique and colours, but can't predict the outcome. You can use the same paint, same amounts, same technique and you will never replicate a picture. So every work is a true original. There are pictures within pictures, you can find faces, dragons, animals, cars, boats, rockets, fireworks, anything within a single canvas. All that stops you seeing it is your imagination. My tagline for my pictures is ‘Art that makes you think for yourself'. I don't like my pictures to be of something, a picture of something doesn't make you think!

I have held workshops in my studio and seen how delighted people are who ‘can't do art' when they produce something amazing and individual.

Then I progressed onto resin! At first, I used the resin to seal my pictures but soon got bored of that, so I progressed onto making resin moulds, encasing shells, flowers and random things then using wood to enhance them.

Using wood was a fatal move. I fell in love!

Then I bought a woodturning lathe.

So now I am able to create not only beautiful, colourful things, but smooth, soft, beautiful, tactile things as well. The best of both worlds. It is not easy because I have to use my left arm for almost everything, but it's so satisfying seeing something emerge from a sometimes ugly block of nothingness. I can use resin with the wood bringing the whole process full circle - colour and tactility!