PROFESSIONAL sportsmen and women play at what can be described as ‘a subconscious level’.

This means they play say football without thinking, they let their mind become free and get caught up in the moment.

Former Chelsea, Tottenham, AC Milan and West Ham United striker and England international Jimmy Greaves, said he played at a subconscious level. When he returned to the dressing room it felt as if he had retuned into his own body.

One Somerset artist, Eliza Boyd, creates art at a ‘subconscious level’.

She said: “I go into a totally different place. It is my own world it is as if I am channelling every ounce of energy into the process of creating.

“When I am painting it is totally from a subconscious level. It is feeling of freedom, a state of happiness.

“It is like the paint is dancing on the canvass.

“It is a state of euphoria and it is a sensation I can only manage when I paint.”

Eliza, 42, who has lived in Taunton for 18 years, first studied art in 1996 at Brighton University where she was doing a Fine Arts Degree.

At that time romance appeared and this was followed by marriage and two children.

Her art dreams took a back seat.

Fast forward to 2015 and now single, Eliza was able to study art again at the University of the West of England in Bristol.

As a result of this ‘challenging course’ she is now staging her first exhibition called In Whirls -an exhibition of The Weird at Taunton Library from September 1-14.

Speaking about her style of art, Eliza the self coined ‘Outsider Illustrator’, said: “It is unique. In terms of the visual it doesn’t fit in anywhere.

“It is gothic and much of what I paint is as a result of listening to classical music. It all starts with graphite and charcoal sketches. It allows memories to come alive.

“It allows me to be myself which is a child of nature.

“When I grew up in Oxfordshire, I had a level of freedom to be myself and this is reflected in my art.

“This is my first solo exhibition and my first in Taunton.”