5″x7″ acrylic, 2011. JD’s two stuffed rhinos, which are based upon a character from the very funny Susan Boynton books, were originally of primary and secondary status. But of course the “back-up” was discovered, absorbed into daily use, and is now equally beloved. Both “Baby One” and “Baby Two” were recently by JD’s side through some minor surgery. This portrait will be a Christmas gift to JD’s mother from his dad, Doug.
Category: Toy Portraits
Custom portraiture and paintings of Sonja’s toys
Doggy and Dog-Dog
5″x7″ acrylic, 2011. After seeing her neices’ favorite toys immortalized alongside their doppelgangers, Barbara commissioned portraits of her own children’s twin stuffed animals. Brooke has her floppy froggies, and here are Bryce’s Doggy and Dog-Dog. “Back-ups” and extra versions of beloved toys are definitely a theme on this website recently!
Right Boggy and Left Boggy
5″x7″ acrylic, 2011. Continuing the recent twin toy trend around here is this pair of adorable floppy frogs! Barbara’s two children each have a pair of beloved toys, one of which was intended to be the back-up for the other. Despite their initial rank, Barbara’s daughter Brooke loves each of these frogs equally. They were once known as “Boggy” and “Baby Boggy,” but Barbara wrote me with an update while the portrait was in progress to let me know that they had graduated to being “Right Boggy” and “Left Boggy.” Duplicate toys seem to be a tradition in Barbara’s family, judging from the portraits of her nieces’ two giraffes and twin monkeys!
Puppy Family
8″x10″ acrylic, 2011. When Melinda’s 8-year-old son was born, he recieved “Puppy,” pictured here second from the left. “Puppy Mommy,” the large one on the far right, arrived for his first Christmas. Puppy Daddy sits next to (and is somewhat alarmingly dwarfed by) Puppy Mommy, and Puppy’s baby brother is at the far left end. The puppy family portrait is one of two paintings commissioned by Melinda for her children — check out her six-year-old’s two knit bunnies here!
BlaBla Bunnies
8″x10″ acrylic, 2011. Melinda’s six-year-old son’s white Blabla bunny eventually became so tattered that it was no longer repairable. When it became evident that she wouldn’t be able to find a bunny with the exact same coloration to replace it (not sure that would have worked, Melinda!), a story was concocted about bunny having a cousin who was coming to live with them. In this way, some of the affection (and wear and tear) was diverted onto the stripey new addition to the family!
Blue Bunny
8″x10″ acrylic, 2011. I have spent a lot of time recently with a paintbrush in one hand and a magnifying glass in the other! My only source material for this painting was a series of actual paper photos from the childhood of Chris’ daughter Claire, who is now off at college (blue bunny in tow.) In most of the photos, the bunny is either partially obscured by Claire’s adoring stranglehold or lit by an unflattering flash, arms flung up in alarm as if caught robbing a bank. But one photo in which the light was lovely and the bunny appeared momentarilly relaxed, lying next to little sleeping Claire, became the focus of this portrait. Chris notes that the bunny was purchased at Fay’s Drugs for $12.99.
Toy Story Alien
9″x12″ acrylic, 2011. My customers are so much fun! The “models” for all three of Mary’s orders were sent without any setup, save for a few cryptic hints or instructions. The arrival of the first two illicited much excitement in this household, to say the least! The CatDog and Rugrat portraits were to be gifts for Mary’s grown sons, but one of the boys happened to stumble upon the paintings in Mary’s room. He advised her that the Rugrat portrait, which was intended for his brother, did not actually depict his true childhood favorite. So, deciding to keep the Rugrat painting for herself, Mary packed up another “suprise” model for me, emailing me only that he had three eyes! This stuffed Toy Story “Little Green Man” is actually extremely hefty. He’s about 12 inches tall and has hard plastic head and hands. Mary asked me to be sure to include his dimples, as they are a shared trait with the boy who loves this toy!
Tito and Tito The Other One
5″x7″ acrylic, 2011. When five-year-old Elsie was born, she was given an Angel Dear giraffe blanket-head by her grandmother. At least it started as only one giraffe, and he was named “Milton” by Elsie’s father. Elsie is now five, and of course she has discovered and claimed Milton’s “back-up.” Also, Elsie has rejected the “Milton” moniker in favor of the fantastic “Tito” and “Tito The Other One.” Check out Elsie’s little sister Kit’s monkey blankets called “Fritters” and “Fritters The Other One” here, and another portrait of an Angel Dear giraffe here.
Dolly and Bear
8″x10″ acrylic, 2011. One of my very favorite toy stories is the one where the parent falls in love with a toy and is subsequently victorious in convincing her child to love it too! The bear in this portrait was purchased by Jennifer when she first became pregnant with her twin daughters Zora and Jane. “Having twin girls has been the greatest blessing in my life,” Jennifer wrote to me, “far more joyous (and exhausting!) than I could ever have imagined, and that Zora loves this bear represents this to me.” Jane’s favorite is Dolly, and is dragged to school each day, smothered in blankets and kisses while playing “mama,” and taken to bed every night. If Dolly is lost in the covers, Jane calls out “Dolllllllllyyyy” and Jennifer must come and find her. Jennifer notes, “They have many toys but these are the most cherished by far.”
Miffy Rattle
5″x7″ acrylic, 2011. As Christmas gifts for the her family in Switzerland, Holly commissioned little portraits of the favorite toys of each of her sister’s two children. Holly’s sister takes a yearly photo portrait of her children together with their special toys. Holly originally envisioned one painting of the two toys, but then thought individual portraits would allow for additions to the series for any future siblings. This ridiculously cute Dutch Miffy the Bunny rattle gives me a little twinge of regret that it’s too late to get one for my own three-year-old! I might anyway, and convince her that it’s a maraca rather than a baby toy.