I wanted The Dog and Human to be the first of a series of works. I also wanted to create images in a series of series. I had decided to create works of different subjects and styles and knew that the only way I could do this was by concentrating on one theme at a time for as long as that lasted, which could be a few weeks, months, or even years. When working on a theme or subject I drew heavily on the works of other artists, artists who had created images similar to the ones I wanted to make.   So, for instance, for this series, I looked at the early work of Picasso, especially for its nuance and mood, at the work of Marc Chagall, for its tenderness, colour, and imagination. Though perhaps the greatest influence on this series is the work of Odilon Redon, whose work embodies a deep sense of the mysterious and the spiritual. His pastels are outstanding examples of the medium and inspired me to experiment with them for many years.   By allowing changes in composition, gesture, or color at any time, enables the concept of both the conscious and unconscious to be simultaneously present.