Mad as a Box of Frogs

I’ve been drawing frogs again. I have a bit of a history of drawing and painting dried frogs.

You can ask me why if you like, but I don’t much know an answer beyond that the shape of them fascinates me. That they are so frog-like and yet so not-frog. They preserve so well, and look as if frozen in the midst of some activity or other.

In their non-frogginess they make me think of scribbles; a letter form from an alien hand, Sanskrit, a new language not on the Rosetta Stone, doctor’s handwriting – indecipherable, full of some unfathomable wisdom.

Or it could simply be that I like drawing scrawny spiky things (I also have many drawings of tomato tops). But then why? Sometimes it’s just best not to think about these things too much and just get drawing….

More to be posted here because a few years ago I had an exhibition at Colchester Hospital, and the only thing that sold were three dried-frog paintings. I also have been commissioned to paint them by a friend – when I find the photos of these I’ll upload them here. I ought to say that I am not the only one who collects dried frogs – two of the four that I own were given to me by the same friend who commissioned the painting – (I got to keep them after, thanks Duncan – great gift!). Another was found over twenty years ago under the sofa of friend. I do not recall how I came about the other…  so, if anyone happens to have a dried frog, or find one soon, I’ll joyfully receive it to expand my collection of four. E-mail me for a postal address (and possibly a frog drawing as a means of payment for your trouble). They need to be relatively intact, by the way.