Custom Toy Portrait » acrylic

Blue Bear and Yellow Bunny

Custom Toy Portrait — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 14:51:06 +0000

9″x12″ acrylic, 2010. These are the battered and beloved childhood toys of Donna’s husband Andrew. She commissioned this portrait for his upcoming birthday. Donna notes that in most photos of Andrew as a child, these two are close by. She says that whenever he sees them even today, he remembers the warmth and safety of his childhood. I hope that this painting will have the same effect!

Tiger and Giraffe

Custom Toy Portrait — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 04:01:59 +0000

8″x10″ acrylic, 2010. Well, while I’m waiting for my slow summer to give way to some brisk portrait commission action as folks look toward the holidays (I HOPE!), here is a little study of two classic toys. I found the tiger, along with many other whimsical velveteen animals, for a dollar each at my local Ocean State Job Lot. They are reproductions of 1950’s Dakin Dream Pets, which were originally used as packing material for toy trains! The giraffe was a yard sale find. It’s from Little Tikes, I’m guessing from the 90’s. It served for many years as the “pilot” of my husband’s car, perched on the dashboard with its head smooshed under the windshield. It became a bit deformed from all the sun, and was ultimately surrendered to our toddler.

My Bratty Pony

Custom Toy Portrait — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 03:27:36 +0000

8″x10″, acrylic on canvas, 2009.
Whoa, Nelly! What is going on with THIS? This strangely flirty plastic pony was accurately described as “disturbing” by the mother of the child who loves it. The horse, which five-year-old Oona has named “Beautiful,” was a Goodwill purchase by Oona’s grandmother. Yes, you can just go ahead and put those artsy-craftsy Etsy toys that look so awesome on your baby’s dresser right into a box up in the attic. The heart wants what the heart wants.

Honey

Custom Toy Portrait — Mon, 24 May 2010 17:35:37 +0000

8″x10″ acrylic, 2010. This blanket and stuffed dog named “Honey” are both objects of great importance from Georgia’s 25-year-old daughter’s youth. Georgia commissioned this portrait as a gift to honor her grown daughter’s favorite childhood things in a suitably adult way!

Retro Firetruck

Custom Toy Portrait — Sun, 23 May 2010 03:33:29 +0000

8″x10″ acrylic, 2010. This awesome firetruck was purchased by Jon and Sarah as inspiration for the nursery decor for their soon-to-be-born second son. Sarah was the winner of the recent toy portrait giveaway on www.designmom.com, and this painting is one of two that made up that prize (check in tomorrow to see the other one!)

BugBug

Custom Toy Portrait — Fri, 21 May 2010 15:26:53 +0000

8″x10″ acrylic, 2010. My old friend Richard commissioned this portrait for his niece Evie. After the family experienced code red panic when Bug Bug went missing for several days recently, Richard thought it might be wise to immortalize Evie’s most significant toy in paint! The portrait will be a gift for Evie’s upcoming third birthday. But since Evie is described as “three going on thirteen,” I hope she’s not already to too cool for it!

Pookey Bunny

Custom Toy Portrait — Mon, 17 May 2010 04:05:18 +0000

8″x10″ acrylic, 2010. There is something so meta about a toy sporting a shirt with a picture of another toy on it! This painting was commissioned by Peter for his wife as a fifth anniversary gift. Pete bought the bear for her when they had been dating for a year, and it has since become, as he very eloquently put it, part of their “shared mythology.” They have a baby on the way, and the painting will hang in their nursery!

Panda

Custom Toy Portrait — Mon, 10 May 2010 04:14:41 +0000

5″x7″ acrylic, 2010. This panda portrait was commissioned by very thoughtful friend Angie for Louise’s 40th birthday. And yes, that is a hospital band around his wrist! When Louise’s panda lost an eye and began to come apart at the seams he was sent off to a “teddy bear hospital.” He is surely deserving of such care, as this toy has been a source of comfort to Louise throughout a childhood that was rather frought with illness. As a newly-forty-year-old myself, I was extra pleased to support this commemorative gesture!

Lilly and Froggy

Custom Toy Portrait — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 03:27:31 +0000

12″x12″ acrylic, 2010. A fun challenge from Wendy, who commissioned a portrait of her daughter Lilly together with her recently lost favorite stuffed toy! Poor Lilly and Froggy O’Froggy had been inseparable ever since she was born. Froggy is a variation on the very popular blanket/head theme in contemporary stuffed animals, but this is the first one I’ve encountered that consists of a whole animal holding a blanket in his hands — very clever and cute! Very thoughtful of Wendy to immortalize and commemorate Froggy for Lilly in this way… but I hope he turns up!

Lambie

Custom Toy Portrait — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 04:05:40 +0000

12″x12″ acrylic, 2010. Many times when people send me photos of a stuffed animal, they send images of the “real” toy and also the “backup” toy — meaning, of course, the one in current circulation that is missing facial features, is dingy and worn and beloved, and the identical one that was purchased to replace it when it is lost or just completely dissolves. Such was the case with Lambie, who belongs to Holly’s 9-year-old daughter. It was absolutely striking to see the difference between Lambie and her unused counterpart. The real Lambie’s face has taken on an uncanny, soulful, human-like expression, while the backup Lambie is simply very cute. I suspect that if I worked from the photos of the backup toy, Holly’s little girl would not have recognized her!