Matchbox #3: Orange & Matches

Orange & Matches - 7" x 12" - oil on panel

Matchbox #2: Figs & Matches

Figs & Matches - 7" x 12" - oil on panel

Matchbox #1

Matchbox #1 - 6" x 8" - oil on panel

I have been thinking for a while now about painting matchboxes. I included one in an earlier painting and liked the look of it, so decided to do a study of it on its own. This first matchbox painting has led to the beginning of a series of paintings which, at the moment, all include the same matchbox. To me, matches represent something very powerful. They are symbolic of fire, an example of pure elemental energy. Not just the spark that leads to the fire, they are the catalyst – they precede the spark and exist as pure potential energy, and what they become depends on the intention of the person holding the match. In this way they represent human potential, the ability we have to create something from nothing and the power that human beings have at their fingertips.