8″x10″ acrylic, 2011. This interestingly lit elephant belongs to two-year-old Mason, whose mother, Carrie, ordered portraits of each of her two children’s favorite toys. He sits in the kitchen, surrounded by its cool, blue glow. Check in tomorrow for Mason’s brother’s stuffed puppy!
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5″x7″ acrylic, 2011. That’s Marry Kate with two r’s, making it potentially a command and a pun, but I’m sure that was not the intent of Zoe when she named this bear at age four. If it was, then clever girl! Marry Kate, a Ty Beanie Bear (which is larger than a Beanie Baby,) was a gift from Zoe’s grandmother when she had her tonsils out. This portrait will be a gift for Zoe’s upcoming twelfth birthday from her mother, Shannon.
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9″x12″ acrylic, 2011. Although I adore bunnies and bears, this trio of unlikely bird friends was such a delight for me to paint! Puffy, Chicka Chicka, and Chicki Chicki have been the favorite companions of Bharathi’s daughter, who is now ten, since she was six. Bharathi writes, “It’s pretty adorable to see her in her airplane seat with these stuffies tucked under her arms (especially ’cause she’s a mature looking 10 and prone to reading things like “A history of ancient Britain.”) The contrast reminds me that even when she seems really grown up, she’s still a kid.” At one point, a proposed back-up Chicka Chicka was dismissed by her daughter as being “pretty much like suggesting we get a back-up brother.” Well put!
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9″x12″ acrylic, 2011. Stephen wrote me that his wife was looking at my website and “complaining that our kids don’t actually have favorite stuffed animals to paint.” His clever, thoughtful solution to this problem was to order a portrait of his wife’s own beloved chilhood bear as a gift for her upcoming birthday! This well-worn bear is missing an eye, which he strategically and stylishly hides with his pyjama cap.
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5″x7″ acrylic, 2011. Wow, I jumped right out of my chair when I saw the photos of this lion! He is identical to my own lion Hubert, right down to his missing black spectacles. This toy is the life-long favorite of Corissa’s husband, and she commissioned this portrait as a gift for him. The lion is quite large, about two feet tall and with a formidable head… he has a strong, sage-like presence. Here’s another painting of my Hubert along with Tigger and my much younger self.
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8″x10″ acrylic, 2011. This portrait was emotionally frought for all involved, but perhaps it may contribute to a family’s healing from the tragic loss of a loved one. This giraffe, who was the favorite toy of a child who has recently passed away, serves as a lovely, symbolic remembrance. The painting is a gift for the child’s mother from her very thoughtful aunt. I truly hope that this portrait will serve as a subtle commemoration of a child’s happiness for the grieving family.
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8″x10″ acrylic, 2011. I must say that I’m stunned by this rather “antique” specimen of a blanket-head! I had thought the the blanket-with-a-head phenomenon was fairly recent, but this Snoopy was the childhood companion of a man who is now 30 years old! It’s just barely three-dimensional, its head and hands lying rather flatly against the blanket, so it’s not quite the literal hybrid of fully-formed stuffed animal and blanket that you find today. Susan commissioned this portrait for her son in honor of the upcoming birth of his first child!
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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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8″x10″ acrylic, 2011. Six-month-old Thomas sleeps through the night only when tucked in with his bear blanket, and during the day this blue Gund dog rattle is his favorite. Thomas’ father Bob vividly describes the circumstances: “Lord knows my wife and mother-in-law have buried this child under toys, yet he always seems to dig through them to find this dog rattle to shove in his mouth!” Bob thoughtfully envisioned this painting as a Mother’s Day gift for his very loved and lucky wife!
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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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