I was rummaging through boxes of 'old art', etc, and came across these VERY favourite pieces that (my son) Matthew created when he was ALMOST 2 years old!!!   I've saved them ever since, hoping to one day have them framed...

Each piece is done with Crayola Color Markers on a 8.5" x 11" sheet of paper.

I've called these works: "Color Wonder" and there are 4 in the set. Indeed there is wonder portrayed in these dazzling displays of hoops and loops, as only a 2 year old can produce.  It may be interesting to note that Matthew is left-handed, which may be indicative of his swirling style. 

It really is true, unfortunately, that some people see this type of art as 'messy', but in fact it is most expressive and representative of a child who is discovering the ability to create something out of nothing. The world really IS a canvas filled with many colors and each day is a blank page waiting patiently for us to fill it with our inspired visions.

Wayne Riggs is an American abstract artist living and working in Italy, who works in watercolor/gouache/dry pigments, incorporating older techniques and exploring the color and light of the Mediterranean.

These paintings are watercolor/gouache on English watercolor paper and incorporate a wet on wet process.

“This process allows me to work both small and large, and can be manipulated by a number of factors and conditions – types of paper and pigment, amount of liquid, consistency of pigment, etc. These variables have led me to make my own paints, manipulating the viscosity of the paint and the amount of pigment in the paint. Using dry pigments, this also allows me to produce large amounts of paint, incorporating old and new recipes for both gouache and watercolor to create different behavioral patterns. As a result of using the dry pigments with commercial paints, I find that my colors are more vibrant while still retaining the softness due to the wet on wet technique.”

Mr. Riggs has works in several museums, cooperate and private collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the High Museum of art on Atlanta, Georgia, the Tampa Museum of Art in Tampa, Florida, and the Musee des Beaux-Arts in Le Harve, France.

Back to Submissions Index

Back to "What's Inside"