#75 - Wasp Paper Maze - It was likely destroyed and eaten by raccoons during the night. The only thing left was scattered layers the outer
paper shell of the watermelon sized bald faced hornet nest. Disoriented and disconsolate survivors of the massacre
massed on the tree branch fifteen feet above the trail.
We had been walking under that nest all summer without even noticing that it existed. I picked up torn pieces of the outer shell and was immediately captivated by the texture of the wasp fiber. The random yet directed structure fascinated me and I knew that I'd draw a maze based on the tangled fibers and subtle colors.
I started drawing this in October of 2020, but it was too daunting. The wasps that created this masterpiece worked in parallel, but I could only work alone. The complexity of the weave of the fibers compelled me, but I couldn't imagine teasing out the details in my lifetime. I set it aside and chose a different impossible project.
I returned to it in January of 2021. Thinking about it for two months, I came up with a plan. For the first time in my mazes, I've used software of my own creation to assist me. Each of the lines was drawn by hand, but my programs guided me with the subtle colors and shadows.
This is actually my favorite maze of all of my creations. I love the subtlety and the chaos of the textures. I love how it resembles the hills of a landscape.
Sadly, this maze is demonstrative of the artists curse. The works that I create, the ones that speak loudest to me, are not the ones that sell. The mazes that sell are the ones that represent pretty flowers, not abstract details in dull colors. I've not yet made peace with this.