The Runaway's Circus :: The Melancholy Clown

In her little French town, spreading joy was the only way of life. No one ever expressed any other emotion but overwhelming happiness and over-the-top humor. She just couldn’t handle it anymore. Slowly, cracks started spreading out over her body, exposing the darkness she hid from the world. It terrified everyone, and she was sent away. You can’t be a clown if you’re not happy! At least, that is what they told her as they shut the gate behind her. She decided to prove them wrong, and now in The Runaway’s Circus, she cheers people up with her honest emotions. She may be less than happy all the time, but people relate to and admire her for her true spirit.

I have assembled her from wooden pieces, painted in mostly black and white. I decided to try a crackle technique on her body, which turned out perfectly. And then I used a little red and yellow paint, splattered on with the bristles of a toothbrush, to add a little color. She wears a little red glass fascinator in her hair, and has a dainty red heart painted on her face. She never wants to hide her true heart again.