A Real American Hero

GI Joe, aka SNAKE EYES! One of the original and most popular members of the GI Joe team. Most known as a Covert Mission Specialist and Ninja and for his relationships with Scarlett and Storm Shadow. His personal detail are “CLASSIFIED” all we know is he is highly skilled and lives in seclusion with his pet wolf Timber. Oh the imaginations that have gone wild with this toy. “Move with the wind, and you will never be heard.” SNAKE EYES.

Check this piece out at the ARTWALK this weekend or online here.

Oh Lolli Lollipop

The lollipop, a classic, and a staple of everyone’s childhood. The perfect circle of shiny sugar atop a skinny white stick ready to dye your mouth a multitude of colors and leave your fingers covered in a sweet stickiness. Yellow was my favorite, because of the color not the lemon flavor. My son always go for pink or red, the berry flavors not the color.

For more info and details on Oh Lolli Lollipop click here.

Hot Hot Wheels

The skinny bright orange 1980’s hot wheels track lined the hallway of childhood. Those cars and that track were definitely a long time favourite of my little brothers. It had a loop’d’loop for pete’s sake, who could blame them. I find hot wheels strewn one again in my hallways bringing brum-brum sounds and inevitably a crash or jump of some kind. Hot wheel are just cool, always have been and always will be.

You can check out Hot Hot Wheels here. 🙂

My Little Glo Worms

The Glo Worm is a memorable toy for any kid from the 80’s. I can still hear the tune from the commercial in my head.  Highly coveted in it’s day! This is another toy that still exists today, although Glo Worm doesn’t look the same anymore.  My son’s father had one when he was a kid, he really liked it and so he got one for our son and shared the joy of a good toy. It has a place of honour on his bed at dad’s. Such a simple and soothing toy, a little snuggly worm whose face glows softly and played lullaby’s when you squeezed him. That has not changed about Glow Worm at all.

Check out My Little Glo Worm Here for details and to purchase.

Monkeys AHOY!

This piece, titled Monkeys Ahoy, is another timeless toy. Monkeys in a barrel. They have not changed one little bit. My son has one particuar monkey, that he got from his grandma, he carries it in his blue coat pocket. It is one of the very same red monkeys I played with at my grandmas house. This toy, like a few other classics have been brought to the attention of kids today through the movie Toy Story. Creating generations of us with memories of the same toy. That is pretty neat! This piece is 12″ x 12″ in acrylic on canvas for $120.

Find this piece here. 

Applejacks Applejacks!

This was the my little pony that I owned as a kid. I have a very clear memory of sitting in the back of my mom’s station wagon on a really cold afternoon, I  had gotten it for my birthday days earlier.  The orange pony with white freckles, apples on her hips, and beautiful bright yellow hair. Yellow is my favourite colour.  We were pulling up to my best friends house for a visit and I was excited to bring in my new toy when all of a sudden my nose started to bleed… all over poor applejacks. I was absolutely distraught, I did recover. Poor Applesjacks didn’t fair as well, her beautiful bright yellow tail was forever kinda gross orange.

Click here for more info or to purchase Applejacks.

Mr. Potato Head, such a happy guy

One of the bonuses I have discovered while painting toys, is cool toys facts. Such as… Mr. Potato Head was the first toy to ever make an appearance on a TV commercial in 1952. My son’s recent obsession with Toy Story lead me to paint this piece, and rightly so Mr. Potato Head is a super happy guy, and fun lots of fun.  The morning after I completed him when my son came into my studio and saw it, his eyes sparkled and he said “Like it mommy” with a huge grin “Hold it”, reaching his arms out to take it from me. I passed him the painting and he just held it looked at it and kept smiling.

This is why I am painting toys, for the joy it brings.

Click here to purchase this piece.

New year, new medium

If you have seen my other social media accounts you will have seen the newest pieces of mine have been drawn in pencil crayon. You would also have seen the addition of candy to my subject matter. I am nothing but inspired by these things. The ‘mom of two year old’ factor plays well into a pick up an immediately work medium.  I can accomplish so much more.  The new pieces I spoke of , Doublemint Doublemint & Strawberry Shortcake Sweet are now available for purchase. Click here to check them out.

The softer side of toys, Care Bears

Tenderheart was the care bear I owned. That single bright red heart adorning his soft white tummy and the bottoms of his fat orange feet.  The definition of an 80’s toy to me. I remember sitting on the floral sectional in my living room playing with my cabbage patches (yes, there will be cabbage patch kids) and watching the Care Bears burst into a stare sending out rainbows to fight the evil of the world. Gotta love the pure optimism and joy. Tenderheart won’t be my last care bear, he was just my first.

This piece is 16″ x 20″, in acrylic and can been viewed/ purchased here. 

Optimus Prime, more than meets the eye!

Transformers, I clearly remember the Autobots from Cybertrom (semi trucks that turned into fighting robots for those not in the know). How could you not remember something as cool as that. At the helm if the good guys, Optimus Prime the ultimate hero taking on the Decepticons. This piece is the forth larger work I completed in this new vintage toy endeavour of mine, and I have found that exploring the lines and colours that toys have is very enticing and frankly fun. When the work is complete, I love the smiles and the lost memories that resurface. There is truly more than meets the eye to a toy. That is so inspiring, I have my next 3 subject matters picked out already.

This work is titled ‘More Than Meets the Eye”, it is 12″ x 24″ in acrylic on canvas for $275. Click here to see the listing.