9″x12″ acrylic, 2013. I adore a generations-old, threadbare toy, but imagine my delight at getting to paint something this quirky and colorful! This large, puffy carrot was purchased at Ikea by Amy for her adorable youngest son Ike as a desperate measure to entertain and calm him while the family shopped. At the time, Ike and the carrot were roughly the same size! These days, Ike really prefers all things Elmo in terms of toys, but the carrot has evolved into an indispensable nighttime pillow companion. This portrait marks Ike’s very recent second birthday. Here he is, having just run to get his carrot after recognizing it in the portrait…

Because we lack an Ikea in our immediate area, I was not familiar with this recent line of toys, but here’s a painting of an ill-fated bear I bought on an Ikea excursion about ten years ago. Also, if you are not one of the gazillion devoted readers of Amy’s fabulous blog, you are missing some of the funniest writing on the internet about life with small children!