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When Super Wonder Gallery‘s Christian Aldo invited me to put work into his mammoth group show, The Amazing Candyland Show, I got a sugar rush. We didn’t eat a lot of sugar in my household growing up, so candy is still kind of a forbidden fruit for me. I also associate candy with post-psychedelic 1970s packaging, sketchy corner stores, and bursting Hallowe’en pillowcases.

I sketched a lot of berzerk stuff over the next week, more good ideas than I can possibly paint. After a 50 hour week in the studio, here are the eight small paintings I’ve completed.

The Amazing Candyland Show opening party is next Friday, May 23, 8 p.m. to 2 a.m., at Super Wonder Gallery (99 Sudbury Street, Toronto). $6 cover. For show updates, go to the Facebook page.

Abscess, 5"x7", acrylic on canvas, Rob Elliott, 2014

Tootsie Pop, 5″x7″, acrylic on canvas, Rob Elliott, 2014

Gummy Goodbye, 6"x6", acrylic on canvas, Rob Elliott, 2014

Gummy Goodbye, 6″x6″, acrylic on canvas, Rob Elliott, 2014

Abscess, 5"x7", acrylic on canvas, Rob Elliott, 2014

Abscess, 5″x7″, acrylic on canvas, Rob Elliott, 2014

Cavity,  5"x7", acrylic on canvas, Rob Elliott, 2014

Cavity, 5″x7″, acrylic on canvas, Rob Elliott, 2014

Gumshoe, 6"x6", acrylic on canvas, Rob Elliott, 2014

Gumshoe, 6″x6″, acrylic on canvas, Rob Elliott, 2014

Sourball, 5"x7", acrylic on canvas, Rob Elliott, 2014

Sourball, 5″x7″, acrylic on canvas, Rob Elliott, 2014

 Sugar Rush, 5"x7", acrylic on canvas, Rob Elliott, 2014

Sugar Rush, 5″x7″, acrylic on canvas, Rob Elliott, 2014

Sugar Crash, 5"x7", acrylic on canvas, Rob Elliott, 2014

Sugar Crash, 5″x7″, acrylic on canvas, Rob Elliott, 2014