Remember being a kid and breaking a crayon because you pushed down too hard? Well one day I found a huge box of broken crayons.
I broke crayons trying to make the promise of their colors a reality on paper. It’s a pretty good metaphor for the damage caused by human willfulness. Willfulness can lead to a whole lot of broken things—broken promises, broken relationships, broken dreams—all snapping under the laws of human nature. I see way more broken crayons in my life than I’m comfortable with. Fortunately, as I’ve aged I spot the trap of willfulness sooner and cause less heartbreak. I’m certain there is some external life force helping me. My spirit flows and rests as this force shapes me the same way wax transforms under fire.
Unlike creating representational art, I usually don’t know what I’m going to paint at the beginning of my process. I light my torch, and over time the fire and wax and air play together and the painting reveals itself. Learn more about my thoughts on select pieces of The Broken Crayon Collection.
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