Jell-O Pudding Advertisement c. 1970s

Jack Davis drew this Jell-O Pudding Advertisement with ink and watercolor. Look at all the kids going wild for Jell-O, and the conductor there, keeping them on track! I can imagine Davis in his studio, a real character himself, maybe whistling a tune, getting into the spirit of the pudding party. He's laying down these energetic lines, thick and thin, to capture all the excitement. And then, he's adding splashes of color, juicy reds and yellows. The energy of the pudding-crazed kids pops right off the page with every juicy dab. It reminds me how R. Crumb's work is so much about the movement of the pen, the way the ink seems to dance and wiggle. It's like a conversation between the artist and the ink, each mark responding to the last. The real conversation that is happening, of course, is one between artists, a lineage of mark-makers who dare to let their lines loose and find beauty in the chaos. It's all about embracing the messy, imperfect, and utterly human act of creation.