A week and a half ago I displayed the first computer drawing I made. I don’t think it is fair for you to judge me solely on that pixelated scribble scrabble. So today we’re going to look at an original drawing (crayon on scrap paper) that has been many months in the making.

Before I got big crayons for Christmas…before I heisted two little crayons from the Olive Garden…yes, way before any of that, Mommy and I would take pens or pencils and make beautiful masterpieces together. Believe it or not, this subtle montage dates from that era. It is hard to see the pen underneath everything, but those non-crayon strokes form the skeleton that holds the rest of the drawing together. Most of what you are looking at is, of course, from the crayons I just mentioned. And from what I can remember, this paper was actually the first one I used my crayons on.

This morning a great calamity befell this limited edition piece of art — I stepped on it. Stepping alone is not that bad, but when the step is combined with a turn, a hole is made. Mommy was really sad when it happened. I tried to make her feel better, but she was unconsolable. Look on the bright side, Mommy, yesterday our artwork was just an ordinary collection of colors and shapes. Today it is holey! It takes a special paper to achieve that status.

Forty-five sheets of scrap paper, four envelopes, and one piece of wrapping paper later…this is where I began my career as an artist. Someday, it will be worth a lot of money, but who cares? I had fun making it, looking at it, and even stepping on it. What more could a sheet want?

The front

The back