The Amazing Mumford (2000)
Crayons on paper, 8" x 10"
Sometime in the year 2000, I found a Sesame Street coloring book that featured all these amazing portraits. It was the perfect material for a series of crayon drawings. I did this previously with Curious George, and then followed with two or three dozen portraits from this book.
I can't remember if I used correction fluid on this piece. I might have, it does appear to be so. I was also experimenting here and there with melting crayons, which were kind of like dripping hot wax onto paper or canvas. Unfortunately, that technique never allowed for any variety aside from droplets, and so I moved on to other materials. As always, it's best to use whatever tools you have nearby. Jackson Pollack was a proponent of that theory, and it's always worked for me.
Conceptually, this and the other "coloring book" portraits are rooted in abstract expressionism, but also inspired by the way pre-school children play with crayons. Their freewheeling chaos is always much more interesting and fun that the older students, who quietly obey the rules and color within the lines. Sometimes that works. Oftentimes, it does not.
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