30 Second Skull
acrylic on paper
5" x 6"
I don't think I drew much more than the average child growing up. However, when I did choose to draw, I only drew what I wanted. I remember a Ninja Turtles phase and a dinosaur phase, but the skull and crossbones phase was definitely my favorite. "Wyatt, we're making Christmas decorations...would you like to use some of these cotton balls? Skull and crossbones. "Wyatt, we're making Easter eggs...what color of glitter would you like? Skull and crossbones. "Wyatt, the class is making Rachel a get well soon card...could you decorate it with some pretty artwork?" Skull and crossbones.
My fascination with skulls probably led me to self-applied "Dead Head" status as an 8th grader, long before I actually enjoyed listening to the Grateful Dead. Once, while eating a brisket sandwich, I relieved tension in an awkward conversation with members of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club by complimenting them on having the coolest back patch. And...I've always been a popular person in late October, thanks to my calavera-creating prowess.
When talking about proportions of the head in class, I have my students touch their orbital sockets...it's always a collection of "Eww!" and "Cool!" as they prod their eyeballs. Usually, just as I feel confident in my explanation of the recessed parts of the face, someone turns their eyelids inside out. "Hey Mr. LeGrand, can you do this?"
