8″x10″ acrylic, 2009. Now that’s what I’m talking about! This thing, whatever it once was (a monkey?), has been loved to pieces! It is the childhood toy of Logan, husband of Melissa. Click here to read more about Choppable, whose moniker remains a mystery!
Author: Jennifer At Your Toy Portrait
Ned and Henry
What a treat to recieve a photo of a Toy Portrait at home with its toy and person! Here is Henry and his stuffed clown/blanket Ned all cozied up in their reading chair. Hanging right above them is the Ned’s portrait, completed in Sept. ’09. Thank you to Henry’s mom Leigh for sending this wonderful picture!
The Work Lion
8″x10″ acrylic, 2009. Certain people tend to anthropomorphize stuffed animals more than others, and those people are sometimes adults — adults who might happen to be married to me. And other people with the same tendencies might happen to be employed by my husband. And so a bizarro transaction took place involving this lion. Said employee had two identical lions. One was at home, and the other she kept at work because if they were together they “might fight.” Greg was concerned that some harm would come to the “work lion” if left there, and so he convinced the lion’s owner that he would give it a good life in the care of our Sonja. So far the poor lion has been working long hours modeling in my studio, but I think now I will set it free in the wilds of the nursery.
Bowling Pin Pig
8″x10″ acrylic, 2009. This pig is from our AMERICAN baby bowling set, the one with recognizable animals. I was discussing the wackiness of our Australian set with my sister today, and she figured that it was constructed by Indonesian child sweat-shops working with whatever random fabrics were available (hence red and blue monkey-type animal, and something that might be a blue rhino). Or, we’re boring.
Totoro and Hamtaro, Take 3
8″x10″ acrylic, 2009. These two seem to have that certain something — those great big, round, maniacal eyes seem to say, “take us home so we can stare at you from that presently blank spot on your wall!” I have sold two variations on this theme this year already, so I thought I would make another one for an upcoming show. I’m not sure if their paths would actually cross in their bizarro Japanese pop culture worlds, but I’d like to think so,
Knit Cow
5″x7″ acrylic, 2009. This little painting is of one of the L’attitude Enfant series of adorable yarn animals that we got at Target. It is also another example of a toy that I think is irresistable and that Sonja really couldn’t care less about. We have a whole posse of these things and she barely acknowledges them. Hey, guess what her newest, proudest, loudest word of the week is? ELMO.
Abby
8″x10″ acrylic, 2009. This is the second toy-and-painting gift combo I’ve done this fall… I think it’s a great idea. This portrait and the doll who sat for it will be a Christmas gift for Amelia, Thomas and Nora‘s cousin who lives in California. Although none of us old Sesame Street purists can understand the charm of Abby Cadabby, little Amelia goes completely bonkers whenever this rather quesionable female archtype shows up on TV. No Amelia, you cannot be a fairy when you grow up.
Toy/Portrait
8″x10″ acrylic, 2009. This painting of my daughter Sonja sort of qualifies as a toy portrait, in that she has a toy car in her hand. I’ve been known to depict the occasional human, so bring on any combination of toy, person, animal, and/or object you like and I’d be delighted to paint it for you!
Hubert
8″x10″ acrylic, 2009. Hubert has been with me since I was a baby. He is about 2 feet tall and used to sport a black pince-nez. To say that he’s seen better days is an understatement — he’s kind of too dirty to cuddle, but is still awesome and might just continue to pose in the corner of my studio like this to keep me company.
Thomas’ Dog
8″x10″ acrylic, 2009. I might even consider Thomas Sonja’s first love, in addition to being her playmate. Even though he is almost two and a half and Sonja is 20 months, they run toward each other as if through a sunlit field of wildflowers whenever they meet on the sidewalk. He is actually not so attached to his stuffed animals, and his grandmother suggested that it would be more appropriate for me to paint his toy golf clubs. I almost painted a couple of the clubs next to this dog, but… eh.