Toy Portraits

Hedgie

Hedgie

9″x12″ acrylic on canvas, 2013. My very favorite thing about this stuffed Jellycat hedgehog is that one-year-old Jack carries him in his mouth by the nose. I wish that I had set up a tag at some point for this phenomenon, as I’m sure I’ve had several other portrait subjects that were [...]

Mary Poppins and Blankie

Mary Poppins and Blankie

5″x7″ acrylic, 2013. This stuffed Mary Poppins doll and blue-patterned blanket belong to Alistair, who will turn four next week. On a recent family trip to Disneyland, the “real” Mary Poppins was delighted to meet him and tickled to see his beloved doll! Mary blew him kisses and bestowed her little effigy [...]

Mister Carrot

Mister Carrot

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 [...]

Cassie’s BearBear

Cassie’s BearBear

8″x10″ acrylic, 2013. One of my daughter’s very closest friends in her pre-k class is Cassie, an adorable girl with dark ringlets, dimples, and fabulous Lisa Loeb glasses. Cassie is often accompanied at drop-off by this well-worn bear. A gift from Cassie’s great-aunt, the bear originally known as “Fuzzy Was He” came [...]

Puppy Love

Puppy Love

8″x10″ acrylic, 2013. Becky was the lucky winner in a custom portrait giveaway hosted by Casey of the wonderful blog Moosh In Indy and Babble a couple of months ago. This 1970’s Knickerbocker Toys pup was purchased with Becky’s own money in a department store when she was in first grade, and [...]

Hank

Hank

5″x7″ acrylic, 2013. This bear was a gift to Lindsay’s step-father from a friend decades ago, and has adorned her parents’ bed ever since. Lindsay notes that Hank is secure enough in his “masculine bear-ness” to be comfortable wearing jewelry. That he sports a Paddington bear charm seems appropriate, because why wouldn’t [...]

Mother’s Day Group

Mother’s Day Group

9″x12 acrylic on board, 2013. This epic Mother’s Day portrait features the favorite childhood toys of five grown-up siblings. It will be given by Jennifer, whose yellow doll is shown here in a restored state… it is presently a faded and faceless shadow of its former self! One of Jennifer’s brothers [...]

Monchhichi Family

Monchhichi Family

8″x10″ acrylic, 2013. So first of all, did you know that Monchhichi is spelled that way, with the two consecutive h’s? I didn’t until I began researching this project. Seems like an odd marketing choice, but there you go! This is the second family portrait commissioned by Dominic for his wife [...]

Little People Wedding Portrait

Little People Wedding Portrait

9″x12″ acrylic, 2013. This assignment combines two of my favorite portrait categories: The couple’s toy portrait and the Fisher-Price Little People family portrait! What could be a more romantic gift for a couple who both love classic ’70’s and ’80’s toys? Kerry tells me that Kate played with her Little People [...]

Mia’s Teddy

Mia’s Teddy

8″x10″ acrylic, 2013. In the photo I was given to work from for this painting, this serenely smiling bear dwarfs tiny infant Mia as she rests against his side and bawls robustly. My daughter, who is five, exclaimed “Oh no, the baby doesn’t like that bear!” But in fact nothing could be [...]

Little People Portrait: Amy’s Family

Little People Portrait: Amy’s Family

8″x10″ acrylic, 2013. Amy first contacted me via etsy nearly a year ago, and we built up to the making of this Fisher-Price Little People family portrait via a slow-motion conversation. I’m actually glad it took us this long to get it going, because, by the time Amy sent me a current [...]

Grumpy Sheep

Grumpy Sheep

8×10 acrylic, 2013. This grouchy stuffed sheep lifted the mood of my entire household during the process of making his portrait. There’s something about his of-kilter lean and comically stunned expression that just made anyone passing by my easel snort with laughter or at least smile! This toy was the childhood favorite [...]

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