When asked about the title, David recalls how at a young age, when his mother would ask what he wanted for breakfast, he would shout ‘crayons’ and happily sit colouring, drawing and passing the time whilst she prepared breakfast for the guests of their bed and breakfast. But the title also acts as a reminder to keep things uncomplicated, the connotation that crayons are a remedial medium for children referencing the artist’s enthusiasm for primitive and instinctive art.
For over 50 years David’s dedication to painting has been constant. A yearning to make, to learn and to challenge. Ever seeking to harness the raw energy of the naive or untrained. As a self-taught artist, aligned with the outsider movement and included in some of the world’s most important collections of this genre – his work extols the awkward, playful or visually confusing.
With this group of paintings, David forces us to question our notions of the mundane, the everyday. Much of the intrigue and achievement in this work lies in the apparent contradictions in the way the juxtapositions invite the viewer to look again at the ordinary and the familiar in a slightly different context. Adopting ostensibly simple compositions, the familiar is twisted into the ambiguous. Previous incarnations sit veiled but not totally erased beneath the surface of the paintings. David explains these remnants map the history of the work and “…provide the energy, the awkwardness and slight discomfort that prevents the paintings from becoming stale… these marks wouldn’t remain if they weren’t integral”.
With his still life works, he elevates everyday items into heroes-deliberately animated, bringing humour and energy with the charm and rawness of a child’s fridge painting. His discerning use of colour and apparent throwaway application can tease and challenge the expectations of the viewer and produce something sufficiently visceral and immediate to get under the aesthetic radar. Crayons for Breakfast celebrates a life of creating. Such a cliche; like every artist will proclaim, David has spent his years driven to making art. But this title exerts more about his painting style, inspired by folk art embracing the nervous line, spontaneity and the use of crude materials / medium. With this group of vibrant works, David delivers the proverbial shot of kale juice. You’re not sure you’ll like it but it will make you feel good!
– Elizabeth Francis, Curator, Cornwall, UK (2026)
