Welcome to Beautiful Destruction

A few years back, I saw a video on Facebook where someone glued crayons to a canvas and then melted them with a hairdryer to create a beautiful rainbow. You guys might have seen this video too, or a variation of it. There were versions with a night sky, people walking in the rain under an umbrella, and several with heart designed. Here's a video if you're curious.

I recently was looking for a new project (*cough way to express myself *cough) and once again stumbled upon the melted crayon art videos. It didn’t look too difficult or expensive. I brought a few boxes of crayons and some canvases and got to work experimenting with what I could do.

And I love it!

If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve likely seen a bunch of the “paintings” I’ve come up with (you can follow me at bartholomewalexandra). Each one is unique. All I do is pick the colors and control the heat and airflow on the hairdryer. Sometimes I draw images as the crayon melts, but I don’t always control where the wax goes.

I make beautiful creations out of the destruction of another object.

And there is something seriously satisfying about doing that. It’s like watching an explosion during a movie, there’s a rush watching the destruction take place. It might make a mess, but it also allows for new creation.

I love destruction. Fireworks, explosions, knocking down a block tower, or watching as a wave swallows a sandcastle. It’s beautiful in its own way.

But destruction is also dangerous.

I don’t like destruction if it’s going to harm someone physically, mentally, and/or emotionally. I don’t want to watch as someone lose everything in a natural disaster. I might like seeing a volcano erupt, but not at the expense of someone’s life.

Maybe it’s a morbid fascination. Destruction is beautiful and dangerous. I feel a rush of joy and a flicker of sadness. It’s the beginning and ending of a story. All of which is part of a natural order.

Even the known universe started with a bang.

Beauty is subjective at its core. My love affair with destruction in order to create is my own. I feel good when I’ve managed to make something beautiful after spending an hour or so melting crayons, especially when I’m having a bad spell.

And if I don’t love what I do, there’s no point in me doing it.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me. Also if you see any art you like here or on Instagram, please let me know.

Until next week.