8″x10″ acrylic, 2012. Don’t be fooled by the color of his clothes — this sweet doll has been known as “Baby Nathan” ever since 6-year-old Anna recieved him as a Christmas gift when she was one. She named him after her big brother Nathan, and to this day finds it perfectly natural that the doll retains his gender and moniker along with the pink pj’s. Anna asked her mother for a portrait of her beloved doll after Nathan recieved a painting of his favorite stuffed bunny last year!
Tag: custom portrait
Tabby Boo
8″x10″ acrylic on canvas, 2012. This classic Vermont Teddy Bear sat virtually unnoticed on baby Kaelen’s bed when it was given to him by his grandmother for his first Christmas. But when he fell in love with the book “Chugga Chugga Choo Choo” a few months later, Kaelen became fascinated by the illustrations of teddy bears inside. He repeatedly asked what they were called, and when his parents would say “teddy bear,” he would not repeat the words, but thoughtfully file them away. One morning when Kaelen’s mother Kelly came into his room, he held up the bear and exclaimed “Tabby Boo!” Kaelen and Tabby Boo have been inseparable ever since. Kelly tells me that Kaelen is sure that he is saying “Teddy Bear” and looks at his parents like they are crazy when they call the bear “Tabby Boo!”
Hot Wheels GTO Wagon
5″x7″ acrylic, 2012. What would you call the color of this Hot Wheels Classic Series 1966 GTO Wagon? “Spectraflame Blue,” of course! Jessica commissioned this painting as a gift for her husband, who collects Hot Wheels — this is one of his very favorites. Jessica, who found me through etsy, previously had me paint the Bert and Ernie Fisher Price Little People for her son. Their family has admirable taste in classic toys! Jessica herself produces sweet handmade stuffed dolls and toys for her own etsy shop… future classics, perhaps?
Harry Potter Lego
8″x10″ acrylic on canvas, 2012. About eight months ago, Karen Walrond of the wonderful Chookooloonks blog was kind enough to include one of my custom portraits in her 12 Days of Chookooloonks giveaway bonanza. The winner of the portrait, Leah, and I have just now gotten around to making the painting happen! She and her husband, who were just married this year, both adore Legos and had seen my Boba Fett Lego guy painting. They took some time to carefully consider what sort of Lego they’d like to have hanging on their wall, and ultimately settled on Harry Potter! This little minifigure is actually attached to a keychain, which Leah asked that I omit.
Little Lamb
This little stuffed lamb is mostly called “Doggy” by six-year-old Hero, who pulls it around the house on a pink leash. Hero’s mother Erynn has learned that, as a result, Doggy’s white wool can be used to gauge of the cleanliness of the floors… who knew there was so much dirt on those tiles? This is the third of three portraits commissioned by Erynn her daughters’ favorite toys. You can see Cora’s babydoll here, and click here to see Philippa’s stuffed sloth!
Pull-Toy Group
11″x14″ acrylic, 2012. What fun I’ve had painting all these clever wooden hand-made toys! You may have seen my individual portraits of this bear, duck, and grasshopper earlier this summer, and this group portrait brings in a fourth toy. The rabbit is overturned to reveal the signature of Pops, Barbara’s talented and generous late father. “Pops” made beautiful toys for several generations of his family, and Barbara commissioned this quartet of portraits to honor him and his lovely work.
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.
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.
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!