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.
Category: Custom Portraits
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.
Nora’s Bunny
8″x10″ acrylic, 2009. Three-year-old Nora and her brother Thomas, two, are my daughter Sonja’s first real playmates. They are the grandchildren of our friends across the street and we all end up hanging out on their porch almost daily. While I was working on this painting there were a few occasions in which the party moved into our living room. Nora’s grandma would point to the easel and say, “Nora, look what Sonja’s Mommy is painting! Who is that?” And Nora would shout, “BUNNYYYYY!” So I’m going to assume that in fact that is its name: Bunny. Oh, and my name is now Sonja’s Mommy. As in, “Um, Sonja’s Mommy, can Sonja come play in Papa’s pickup truck with us?” (No.)
Ned
8″x10″ acrylic on canvas, 2009. So this blanket-with-a-head trend is no joke! I would say that a majority of my recent work has been centered around intensely beloved blanket animals. So far the variations on this theme that I’ve encountered have included: Head at one corner, no arms; head in the center, no arms, and head at the center, arms. In this painting we have Ned, a blue blanket with a very cute white bear head (no arms) in its center and a matching blue sleeping cap. He belongs to six year old Henry, whose affection has worn Ned into a state of obvious contentment.
Baybob
8″x10″ acrylic, 2009. Here is Baybob, a floppy grey dog belonging to eight-year-old Audrey. He was apparently made without a specific mouth, but has developed what Audrey calls his “smile” over the years — a line beneath his nose that was worn into his fur by love, no doubt. I think a nice metaphor is in there somewhere…
Dog and Duck Blankies
8″x10″ acrylic on canvas, 2009. Lily’s very clever mom had back-ups of these two, so she was able to send me the actual stuffed animals to paint from! It was a challenging project for a couple of reasons. First, these are tiny stuffed heads attached to what are essentially fileted flying squirrel. Continue reading “Dog and Duck Blankies”
Burberry Chicken
8″x10″ acrylic on canvas, 2009. This stylish chicken was given to 5-year-old Oona by awesome artist Ralph Steadman! He’s the guy who drew all those famous, wild illustrations of Hunter S. Thompson, among many other things, and he worked with Oona’s mom at a literary agency. Apparently Oona has lately been focusing her affections on a somewhat more “glamorous” toy, but her little sister Daphne, 3, has taken him under her wing.
Lila’s Lamby
8″x10″ acrylic on canvas, 2009. I’m that crazy lady with the camera at your kid’s birthday party who takes a zillion pictures (to make up for my terrible photograpy skills — thank goodness for the excess that digital allows for!). But what makes my paparazzing a bit unusual is my tendancy to focus on the children’s toys and stuffed animals. Always in search of fun subject matter! We recently took Sonja to her friend Lila’s 2nd birthday party and got to meet her VIP possession “Lamby.” But perhaps the most significant thing about that event for me was my introduction to Lila’s mommy’s native cuisine, the Utica Tomato Pie!
Gigi
–8″x10″ acrylic on canvas, 2009. Gigi is a Ty Beanie koala bear, but to her person, Ruby, she is a LION, period! Continue reading “Gigi”