David Downes' Covid art 'a way of expressing how I feel'

An autistic artist says painting has helped him cope with the stresses of the coronavirus pandemic.

David Downes started out creating pictures of giant cells looming in the sky, but different themes emerged in his work as the past year ran its course.

"It's a way of expressing how I feel," said the 49-year-old from Manningtree, Essex. "I've tried to get how I feel about the world into my art."

His latest piece includes healthcare workers reflecting on the pandemic surrounded by cherry blossom.