5″x7″ acrylic, 2011. I love the utilitarian names that children sometimes bestow upon their most important posessions! Jennifer’s daughters refer to their favorite stuffed hippo and lamb as their “sleepy” toys, because of course their company is most essential when the girls are tucking in for the night. Jennifer ordered a portrait of each soft, floppy friend, and here is her younger daughter’s Sleepy Hippo.
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5″x7″ acrylic, 2011. The many well-intended gifts we recieve for our newborn babies can be overwhelming… this bunny blanket was stashed in a closet when Lily was a few weeks old, but would later prove to be very important. After battling a tongue-thrust issue as a baby, it was recommended that Lily be given a substitute for her binky in order to aid her developing speech. The bunny was swapped for the binky, and has been her companion ever since. Lily’s mother Emma points out that the left ear, Lily’s favorite, is dirtier than the right, and that the nose is a bit unraveled. After many near-losses of the bunny, it was decided that it would “live” in Lily’s bed only! This portrait will be a gift for Lily’s upcoming third birthday, immortalizing Pink Bunny… just in case.
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5″x7″ acrylic, 2011. In this second of two portraits for Jennifer’s daughters, we see a prime example of a situation I often encounter: The “real,” slightly battered, well-loved toy vs. the “back-up” toy, which is pristine. Originally identical, they now are barely recognizable as related objects! In this case, the “real” Sleepy Lamby had just recently been accidentally burned and subsequently patched on its head. Jennifer sent me photos of the untouched “back-up” lamb as well in order to help me spiff up Sleepy Lamby in his portrait. So here is the lamb with his scalp intact but all the evidence of Jennifer’s daughter’s affection honestly represented in the folds and wrinkles of his face.
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5″x7″ acrylic, 2011. There have been a plethora of giraffe portraits happening in my studio lately and I’m loving it! I adore giraffes… at least, in their abstracted, stuffed-toy manifestations. This particular yellow Carter’s giraffe is dear to me because we bought exactly the same one for our Sonja before she was born. This portrait depicts Gee-raff, who belongs to Dale’s 4-month-old baby Evan. Dale commissioned two portraits of their children’s toys for his wife as a Mother’s Day gift. As Evan appears to be determined to devour Gee-raff in its entirety beginning with his horns, Dale and his wife were wise to have also purchased a back-up giraffe!
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8″x10″ acrylic, 2011. The juxtaposition between the current state of “Brother Bear” and this photo of his of his original condition is, as Nate’s mother Claudia pointed out, “fascinating!” A Baby Gund, this once fluffy and cream-colored bear is now a bit rangy and matted, with grey, dreadlocked fur mostly obscuring his eyes. Claudia ordered this portrait to honor Brother Bear on what appears to be the brink of his becoming obsolete to 7-year-old Nate. This bear replaced an identical bear called “Baby Bear,” lost four years ago, that had been with Nate from birth.
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8″x10″ acrylic, 2011. Here is the second of two portraits given as Mother’s Day gifts by Dale to his wife Julie. These blue Carter’s stuffed dogs, known simply as Puppy and Other Puppy, belong to their 3-and-a-half-year-old son Henry. One puppy has been Henry’s “best friend” since birth, but when he found out that his parents had purchased a back-up puppy, he insisted on carrying and sleeping with them both. So ensconced in the family are these dogs that the night Julie gave birth to their younger son Evan, she kept one of the puppies with her throughout her C-section so that she would have a bit of Henry present with her. Dale wrote me about his wife in such adoring terms and it’s clear that so much thought and love went into this gift… this couple is very fortunate to have each other!
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8″x10″ acrylic, 2011. Wait, slow down, stop! You almost drove right by a garage sale that could very well harbor the most significant objects you may ever own! This worn blue Beanie Baby, simply called “Rabbit” by 8-year-old Jenna, is one such find. He was still a bright baby blue when he was discovered, but has since faded and further floppied… Jenna cannot sleep without him beside her to this day! It’s fun knowing that Rabbit has been loved by families who are local to me, as Julie lives nearby and found him at an area garage sale… and found me through an article in our newspaper!
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5″x7″ acrylic, 2011. It’s fascinating to hear about the differing reactions of children to the existence of multiples of their favorite toys — sometimes the “back-up” is simply brought into the fold so that there are two constant companions. I haven’t yet heard about parents successfully rotating identical toys without the child catching on! In this case, “spare” Doggy blankets were simple not accepted by baby Kathryn at all — she immediately knew the difference, of course. Last year, Virginia ordered a portrait of her daughter Jane’s ducky blanket, and now Jane’s older sister Kathryn, now five, will have one of her one and only Doggy.
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9″x12″ acrylic, 2011. As a hand-puppet, Sammy Snail is better able than many toys to express his fabulous personality. He’s the favorite toy of 3-year-old Izzy, whose father Tommaso wrote this delightful description:
“He has a “dolly voice” (falsetto), and has apparently authored most of the books (Snowy Day, by Sammmmmy Keats. Make Way for Ducklings, by Sammmmy Snail, etc etc) and plays most of the music on the radio, according to Izzy Bea. So i guess that means he’s in a band, as he’s often accompanied by his friends sally squirrel, hammie hamster, and swirly elephant (all hand puppets, oddly).”
Now that I think about it, isn’t it suprising that more children don’t connect deeply with puppets? Kids are always playing out scenes from life or imagination with best-loved toys, and how satisfying that interaction must be with a puppet that can be made to move and speak! I loved painting Sammy’s crazy, expressive face and hope to encounter many more quirky puppets in the future.
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8″x10″ acrylic, 2011. Anna is just about to turn sixteen, but these three objects have surrounded and supported her since babyhood. Anna’s Grandma put Dolly in her crib before she was born, and the pillow was made for her from a quilt by Anna’s aunt. The blanket was also a gift and is embroidered with Anna’s name and birthdate. The deep-blue, gold-starred wallpaper which adorns the walls of Ann’s room can be seen in the background. The now-tattered Dolly has been lost and found several times, and the family carefully considered how to preserve her. Anna’s Grandma suggested framing her, but Anna wanted to be able to touch Dolly even though she has (very recently!) stopped sleeping with her. This portrait is certainly a solution which immortalizes Dolly while leaving her available for even more love! It will be a birthday gift for Anna from her mother, Karen.
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