This project is the result of two life experiences.

The Spring 2006 semester of my college year I took Pseudoscience with Rory Coker. It is an absolutely exhilerating class that teaches you the truth behind UFOs, the Loch Ness Monster, Bigfoot, etc. We also spent a small amount of time discussing the subject of Spontaneous Human Combustion. There are hundreds of photos of charred human remains. Usually the only body parts left are the feet. That's how gruesome and twisted these pictures can get. People point to these photos and jump to the conclusion that these people must have exploded. Unfortunately, scientists scoff at this idea. They point to the most likely hypothesis that these people simply passed out and smoldered to death. Smoldering is a grisly process! Usually the victim is an overweight, older person who cannot move around easily. They fall on their cigarette or into a fireplace, and their robe catches fire. The cloth smolders, cooking the skin. The skin actually gets so hot that it turns into a liquid. The only reason the feet remain is because the robe usually doesn't cover the victim's legs. Smoldering isn't as exciting as SHC, but it's interesting nonetheless.

During Spring Break, I went to New York and Washington D.C. with my mom. We went to National Gallery of Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and I was amazed at the wonders that surrounded me. I was particularly impressed by the modern art by Andy Warhol and Georgia O'Keefe. They presented beautiful imagery in unique and interesting ways. I don't know too much about artwork and painting, but I do know that their work inspired me.

When Project #2 came around, I knew immediately that I had to try my hand at painting. I picked up art supplies from Hobby Lobby. I bought canvas, acrylic paint, and brushes ...anything I could carry. Back at home, I surfed the net for the perfect picture. With Spontaneous Human Combustion still on my mind, I found a great photo of SHC in a bathroom. It was morbid and fascinating at the same time. The painting itself was a blast to create. I sketched the image into the canvas several times to get the composition right. Then I just let loose and used everything I could find lying around the house. I threw rasberries and blackberries at the canvass to give the blood a chunky, real look. I also poured soap into the cracks of the tiles. To make the bathroom even more dirty, I got a handful of dirt from outside and stuck it into the soap. Little did I know that there were ants in the dirt. Yeah...not so fun. I think the painting turned out better than I could have ever hoped. It has problems, but it is a first-time effort. I hope that you can see the inspiration in the painting itself, and I provided the original photo to help.