Explosion in a Lolly Shop

The story behind Explosion in a Lolly Shop

One day I was out riding my bicycle when I passed the local lolly shop and maker of all things sweet. There were numerous police cars and fire trucks at the front of the building. Further investigation was needed – surely this wasn’t just an overindulgent lunch break by the local emergency services members? I went into the building to have a look.

Somebody had planted a mild and somewhat gentle bomb in the shop. The resultant explosion had blown all of the lollies, chocolates, and confectionery up into the air and scattered them over the shop. The sheer quantity of colored sweet delights that were thrown into a chaotic, random display of visual beauty meant I just had to capture the scene. So I whipped out an easel, a bit of board, some brushes and paints. For the next hour and a half, I painted furiously. Oh, and I occasionally stopped to sample one of the sugary treats. Or two or three. Actually, I ate a lot of confectionaries.

The transformation of the scene (or maybe it was just a pleasant dream) into a painting provides a sense of my joyful and crazy self; as well as my mastery of abstract expressionism. This painting, viewed at a distance appears somewhat homogenous. Then as the viewer gets closer, its composition changes and more of the subtle and intricate detail becomes visible.