Even Broken Crayons Still Colour by Todd White

“This is a painting about a woman I know, she had a really terrible upbringing and a broken home. Dad wasn’t around much, mom left. She pretty much raised herself and while she might be tough as nails in that process, she didn’t have direction. Therefore, she had to figure everything out and made a lot of mistakes. Sometimes it’s hard to shake where you come from, and you find yourself on that same path. She still makes some bad decisions from emotional damage. Her saving grace is at her core she has a really good heart. People like that have to go through their own journey and where they end up is unpredictable. I think we all know people like that, and I have a saying everybody is where they’re supposed to be. The decisions you make in life lead you to where you are now.”

Todd White’s stylish and distinctive figurative artwork has won him an international reputation that keeps on growing. His paintings captivate people, often invoking laughter and always demanding repeated viewings. By revealing his subjects’ innermost feelings, he creates timeless scenes of attraction and intimacy. Beneath the exaggerated features and textured skin of his characters there is a truth that we can all recognise – both theirs and ours.

Todd is a compulsive observer of detail, always studying and absorbing figures, faces and features. He spends his life people-watching – scribbling down sketches whatever the situation (often on napkins or even tablecloths) to record an idea for his next work. While his subjects come from everyday life, his perspective is so unusual that he alters the way we perceive people and the roles we play around each other. He studies body language, using its nuances to capture the subtleties of what we show and what we hide.

Hands are a focal point as he has always been impressed by how powerfully and expressively tiny gestures can amplify an actor’s performance. ”Everyone’s hands are full of personality,”‘ says Todd, “They reflect the subject’s state of mind almost as much as facial expressions.”

Todd was chosen from hundreds of artists as the Official Artist of the GRAMMY® Awards in 2007, the world’s most prestigious music event. In 2009, he was invited by Warner Bros. to contribute to a major design exhibition celebrating the 70th Anniversary of The Wizard of Oz. Todd collaborated with Coca Cola in 2010 to produce limited edition bottles and cans. His unique box signature appears right on the product, which is the first time Coca-Cola has given credit to a fine artist in this manner.

In 2011 Todd was awarded one of the United Kingdom’s most prestigious accolades in the shape of the Diana Princess of Wales Gold Medal, after donating his portrait of the Princess to the Diana Awards charity. Only 11 people to date, Todd now included as the only American, have been honoured with the Award. Todd flew to London to officially receive the award.

Following a string of record-breaking shows in the UK, Todd returned to the US to even greater acclaim, and has become one of the world’s most collectable and successful living artists.