Worm food ecstasy

One of a few new paintings I’ve begun on the theme of childhood; worms, playing in dirt, revelling in exploration (minus the judgement……) The memory of feeling high on curiosity is something I desire to recapture. It’s a space we inhabit less and less as we grow into self aware adult animals, especially as consciousness and social expectations infiltrate the mind. Although I am no longer dangling an earthworm inside my mouth, and flinching with tickled repulsion as it’s cold writhing body touches the tip of my tongue, there are plenty of other weird and wonderful aspects of being alive which I am trying to embrace and to experience. Playfulness is so underrated and so integral!

Not entirely sure whether this particular image will develop into a bigger painting, I like the idea of a crowd of these intense worm feeding and frenzied kids…..it is a potent image, I can imagine this in the style of an 80’s horror novel cover-something fantastically ridiculous. Retro horror art is amazing, especially the hyper surreal.