8″x10″ acrylic on cardboard, 2012. When Star Wars meets Lego, it’s just impossibly, deliciously nerdy. While I was painting my Luke and Leia 1970’s action figures a couple of weeks ago, I kept giving these two the side-eye… they belong to my husband Greg, of course, who has all manner of plastic geekery on hand. This will hang next to its action figure counterpart in my current show at Uncommon Grounds . The show is selling well, so I’m busily painting new pieces to re-stock! Click here to see my portrait of a Lego Boba Fett.
Tag: acrylic
Bear Pull-Toy
8″x10″ acrylic, 2012. Here’s a third portrait of a beautiful pull-toy handmade by Barb’s late father. Barbs’ children (now grown) called her father “Pops,” and he always made sure to spend lots of quality time with them. The kids have fond memories of helping him build and paint projects in his shop such as wooden swords and birdfeeders, and they played cards using a wooden cardholder made by Pops to assist little hands in managing the cards. Barb’s father carefully researched his finishes and materials to be sure the toys were non-toxic. It’s a thrill to paint these amazing family treasures! You can see my other portraits of Pop’s pull-toys here and here.
Slothy
5″x7″ acrylic, 2012. This stuffed sloth was given to baby Phillipa (now two-and-a-half) by her father on his return to a trip from Costa Rica. He found it while visiting a rehabilitation center for real sloths, and figured she would either adore it or be terrified by it. It was love at first sight! Her mother Erynn tells me that before Phillipa could even speak, she would hold up three fingers, scrape them in the air, and growl as a sign she wanted her “Slothy.” Erynn has commissioned portraits of each of her three daughters’ favorite toys.
Donatello, Ninja Turtle
9″x10″ acrylic on cardboard, 2012. Another classic toy for an upcoming exhibit… this 1990 Donatello Ninja Turtle features a hinged storage shell for his tiny ninja throwing stars, fish knife, “killer pizza,” and shark-fin hatchet. He also comes equipped with two bos. My husband had several Ninja Turtle toys as a child, but explained to me that some of the turt;es in his collection were been produced with the wrong coloring. He assures me that this guy has all the correct details. Greg has proven to have a bottomless supply of material for me in the way of plastic toys!
Blythe
6″x8″ acrylic on cardboard, 2012. This “Tokyo Toddler” Blythe doll belongs to my friend Madeline, who tells me it’s a collecter’s edition which was made in Japan. Blythe dolls were introduced by Kenner in 1972, but due to a lack of interest (or perhaps an aversion to creepiness) on the part of the public, they were discontinued by a year later. In 2001, the Japanese company Takara began producing the dolls again, and today Blythe enjoys a profound popularity among collectors and hobbyists who modify them. I must admit that spooky toys are not my thing, and yet I’m very drawn to toys with huge heads and big, wide-spaced eyes (like Hello Kitty,) so I feel a bit ambivalent about Blythe! I think it’s something about the vaguely sexualized detailing juxtaposed with the babyishness (big head/eyes, the word “Toddler”) that bothers me. Are they just hipster Bratz? There is no denying that some very interesting people find them irresistible.
Leia and Luke
8″x10″ acrylic on cardboard, 2012. I have a couple of exhibits to stock this summer, so I’m taking a break from commissions to paint some classic toys. I was seven in 1977, so you know I was IMMERSED in Star Wars mania! I often wore my hair in side-buns and played Pin The Blaster on Luke at my birthday party that year. These Luke and Leia action figures were some of my most-played-with toys in those days. I’ve selectively depicted wear-and-tear in this portrait: Luke’s light saber is shown in it’s broken-off state, but I’ve “photoshopped” my cat’s bite marks off of Leia’s face!
Blaster
8″x10″ acrylic on cardboard, 2012. This particular “Blaster” Transformers toy has quite the tale to tell! For the sake of context, I’ll explain that I’ve been a house music dj since 1995, and it was in this realm that I met my husband Greg, another dj. In the heyday of the Albany “rave scene,” there was a fantastic record store (remember those?) on Lark Street called Audio Underground, which was run by our local techno godfather, DJ Dames. AU was the heart of the circle of creative and interesting people who were involved in the music at the time… everyone gathered there to enjoy each other’s company, talk shop, and fight for tracks when a new shipment came in! A glass case at the counter held all our mixtapes for sale, and Greg contributed his vintage boom-box Blaster Transformer to the display. In April of 2001, a fire struck the building which housed the store. Most everything in it was destroyed and it marked the end of an era. Years later, a friend who’d had a hand in sifting through the wreckage returned the sooty, scuffed toy to Greg — it had survived! Here’s a (terrible photo of a) huge painting I made in 1997 which includes many local djs and scenesters, and perhaps conveys the Audio Underground vibe that meant so much to us. 
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Ernie and Bert Little People
5″x7″ acrylic, 2012. You really can’t pack any more vintage, classic goodness into a toy than you will find in a Fisher-Price Little People Sesame Street figure! This painting of the Ernie and Bert Little People is for 22-month-old Andy, whose mother Jessica found me on Etsy. Jessica has gone out of her way to stock Andy’s toybox with vintage items wherever it seems that the modern incarnation is inferior in terms of design and craftsmanship (almost everywhere!) Andy is obsessed with Ernie and Bert and particularly loves the Little People versions of them. Jessica notes that there these two guys are some of the least annoying tv characters that a child could latch on to, so she considers herself very lucky!
Wooden Duck Pull-Toy
8″x10″ acrylic, 2012. The further down I dig in the box of priceless goodies I recieved from Barbara, the better it gets! Barbara has entrusted me to paint several wooden pull-toys that were hand-made by her late father for several generations of children. This duck is as much a joy to hold as it is to pull along — perfectly smooth, heavy, beautifully shaped, perfectly finished! The egg sits loosely between the wheels and rolls end over end as they turn, which absolutely amazed my daughter (and me.) Click here to read more about Barbara’s talented father and to see his fabulous wooden grasshopper pull-toy!
Santa Toto
My job would not be half as fun as it is without Mary, who has come back to me repeatedly with projects that are as hilarious as they are heartfelt! For her grown children, Mary has commissioned portraits of a CatDog, a RugRat, and a stuffed Toy Story Alien. When she contacted me about immortalizing the family’s beloved dog dressed in a Santa suit, I shouldn’t have been suprised, but I burst out laughing anyway! She bought the Santa suit a decade ago, and every Christmas morning her family waits to open gifts until “Santa” has arrived! This portrait has special importance, Mary tells me, because Toto is now almost twenty years old. The painting will be brought out yearly as a Christmas decoration. Marys is clearly very attuned to the things that mean most to those she loves.