5″x7″ acrylic, 2011. I’m going to bet that the child whose favorite toy in all world is a stuffed hedgehog is one interesting kid! For me, it was a delightful change of pace from dogs, bunnies, and bears to paint this funny little creature. We have one in our house, too, but we’re pretty sure it was intended as a dog toy — his fur is not very soft and he makes a funny snort/grunt when you chew I MEAN SQUEEZE him. This is the second of two portraits commissioned by Wendy as Christmas presents for her two children. Click here to see the other portrait, which features a sweet-faced monkey.
Category: Toy Portraits
Custom portraiture and paintings of Sonja’s toys
Blue Dog and Lamb
5″x7″ acrylic, 2011. As I head into the final stretch of my busy holiday season, I am listening to lots of stand-up comedy on Youtube to stay sane while painting. And so this little portrait of a stuffed dog and lamb will forever conjure Margaret Cho for me, as she happened to be keeping me company while I made it! This is one of two portraits commissioned by Michelle for her grandchildren. Interestingly, the two kids each have the same sort of floppy blue dog, but Sophia, who is five, also has this fabulous lamb blanket-head. I adore the mixed patterns of the flowered blanket and checked scarf on the lamb!
Longly
8″x10″ acrylic, 2011. Recently the wonderful Saratoga Mama blog, which provides info and discourse relevant to my area (near Saratoga Springs, NY) and my current position in life (mama,) was kind enough to host a toy portrait giveaway! I was thrilled when the winner, Becky, let me know that her 6-year-old daughter’s beloved toy is a stuffed giraffe — one of my very favorite motifs! This adorable Gund giraffe was hanging out in Calli’s crib when she first arrived, just waiting for her to notice him and fall in love. This she did, and he has been at her side through thick and thin ever since. After accidentally leaving Longly at Calli’s grandmother’s house, it became clear to Becky that there needed to be a back-up giraffe, just in case. Longly #2 now sits on a shelf in Calli’s room, and he occasionally comes down to play. (If you follow this site at all, you may have a prediction about how that situation will turn out!)
Pookie
8″x10″ acrylic, 2011. Last night I amused myself by going through my archives and adding the tag “grown folks” to all portrait posts about toys belonging to grown-ups. Boy, I nearly ended up with carpel-tunnel! About a quarter of the portraits I’ve painted were commissioned as gifts for adults by people who dearly love the child within them. These toys are absolutely, irrefutably “portrait worthy!” This bear, Pookie, has belonged to Wanda’s niece Sara since she was a baby, and she is now 26. Pookie was named after the comic-strip character Garfield’s own bear. Wanda tells me that he was once much whiter and plumper, and his nose has been squashed and nearly worn away. Sara happened to bring Pookie along on a recent visit so that Wanda could covertly photograph him for me, and the portrait will be a Christmas gift for Sara from Wanda.
Tickle Bunny
8″x10″ acrylic, 2011. At one year old, Sophie seems to be giving her adored stuffed bunny a name! He has been known simply as “Bunny” ever since he was given to Sophie in the hospital at her birth. But recently, Sophie’s mom Allison tells me, Sophie has consistently said “Tickle” each time she picks the bunny up and greets him. Sophie likes to kiss his nose and squeeze him tight while saying “Awwwwwwww!” When her parents take her out of the crib in the morning, Sophie is sure to grab Tickle(?) too, so he doesn’t miss out on any of the fun! You can see two other portraits that I’ve done previously of this particular model of Jellycat bunny here and here.
Reclining Ducky
9″x12″ acrylic, 2011. Whenever one-year-old Sydney sees her favorite stuffed duck, she smiles and presses her forehead against its head in a gesture uniquely her own. Sydney’s doting uncle Nate tells me that it is not something she learned from anyone around her — it is a spontaneous, specific greeting just between Sydney and Ducky! Nate tells me that this languid pose (which he amusingly described as “Odalisque”) is most expressive of the duck’s general floppy demeanor. This portrait will be a Christmas gift for Sydney from Uncle Nate.
Brown and White Dog
8″x10″ acrylic, 2011. Floppy-eared Stuffed Dog week continues — it’s like shark week, but with stuffed dogs and floppy ears! This brown and white pup is the favorite of one of Michael’s two boys. A portrait of his other son’s two blue dogs can be seen here. These paintings will be given to the boys for Christmas by their father.
Two Blue Puppies
8″x10″ acrylic, 2011. Ah, it’s floppy dog season! I’m suddenly swimming in big-eared, sweet-faced stuffed puppies. There are three between Michael’s two sons alone! This sunlit portrait of two blue pups is the first of two paintings he commissioned as Christmas gifts for the boys. Check in tomorrow for the second portrait, which features a brown and white dog of somewhat more upright posture!
Ariel
5″x7″ acrylic, 2011. At long last, my first “Barbie” commission! Well, it’s actually a Disney Princess Ariel the Mermaid, presented Barbie-style by Disney and Mattel. This princess is a queen amongst all the Barbies belonging to 4-year-old Annie, whose aunt Stacey will be giving portraits to her two nieces of their favorite toys as Christmas gifts. “Annie lives to dance, sing and spin, just like the princesses she adores,” Stacy tells me. “She is destined to spend some serious time on stage.” Click here to see Annie’s sister Lily’s beloved baby doll!
Puppy the Puppy
5″x7″ acrylic, 2011. There are fifteen years between Lisa and her younger sister, but as children each had beloved stuffed puppies, both named “Puppy!” Lisa’s sister, now twenty, still brings this floppy-eared, brown-and-white pup along on all her travels. As a Christmas gift, Lisa envisioned a portrait of the toy with her sister’s favorite Tiffany blue as the background .