Local artist outlines newest project

Randy Miller shows what details of his latest wall effort would look like.

Nearly six months after he transformed a downtown facade into what he hopes will be a new tourism destination, a local artist is hoping to create another community landmark using not much more than children's art supplies.

Earlier this month, Randy Miller launched an effort he called the "crayon wall" that would turn 256 square feet of blank wall space into a multi-colored mural.

The idea seems simple enough. Once he has enough supplies to get started, he'll take thousands of crayons and break them down into small chips.

This graphic rendition shows what Miller's wall proposal will look like.

A blow torch or other type of heat source would then melt the colored wax onto individual wooden panels. Miller would then stir or mix the molten wax to create a simulated marble texture.

Holding up three smaller samples to illustrate his concept, the finished mural would include eight panels, each one featuring shades of one specific color.

"Each color has a theme representing many things -- various aspects of life," he said.

Various brown hues, for example, would represent the simple joys of food, specifically the guilty pleasures of chocolate and coffee.

But to make the project work, Miller will need crayons -- and lots of them.

With each wooden panel measuring 32 square feet, he estimates that it'll take three gallons of assorted wax crayons to cover each board. To achieve the desired, long-lasting results, he wants that wax-coated surface to be at least an eighth of an inch thick.

Working with local business owners, he's tentatively looking at using a wall of a warehouse on the northwest corner of the Carr's Home Lumber complex as the pallet for this project. Since it's not constantly exposed to direct sunlight, it would help protect the display from the elements.

"It's a great location," he said. Located near a four-way intersection in the city's downtown area, it's a busy thoroughfare for passing motorists.

Miller already has a plan in place if the mural ever sustains damage due to southern Idaho's summertime heat or winter chill.

"I'm prepared for that," he said. "It's easy to repair. You just bring (the board) down and hit it with a blowtorch again."

The damaged surface would then "mend" itself as the crayons melt together, creating a slightly different look.

In a pinch, he could use a permanent sealant to preserve the finish.

Miller admits he's walking into uncharted territory with this project. There's a lot of crayon art out there, but nothing on the magnitude that he wants to go, he said.

If the project goes well, he sees himself taking his idea on the road and creating similar murals in other communities across the United States.

"I wanted Mountain Home to be first," Miller said.

Looking to the future, he hopes this project will give Mountain Home more "wow factor" with people wondering how an artist was able to create a large work of art using nothing but ordinary children's crayons.

"It'll also help the community get tourism in here," he said.

At the same time, he hopes the mural will inspire others and allow them to appreciate what art can bring to a community.

While he expects it'll only take a week to create most of the murals, removing the paper wrapped off each of the thousands of crayons will remain the most time-consuming part of this project.

"You just crack the crayons, put some heat on them and that's it," he said.

Miller hopes to launch the project here by early spring. He figures it'll take about $1,000 in materials to get started.

Last week, he started to leave drop buckets in stores and businesses around Mountain Home where people can donate new or used crayons.

In September 2012, Miller put the finishing touches on another tourist destination in the city's downtown area that literally took shape one penny at a time. It took more than 430 pounds of spare change to create the Penny Wall, which covers the upper half of a roughly 46-by-16 foot alleyway wall next to Kurly's sports bar and grill.

The Penny Wall project started in August 2010 when Miller started collecting pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters to create the Mountain Home-specific artwork.

To a point, Miller sees these projects as his way of leaving a positive and lasting mark on this community.

"In a way, I've become a role model for other artists," he said.

For more information on the crayon wall, call Miller at 696-1180.