New Oil Paintings: "Chester" and "Collete"

"Chester"
2013
oil on canvas
12 x 12 inches


"Collete"
2013
oil on canvas
12 x 12 inches

Last year, after I finished my "Volland Raggedy Ann" painting, my sister asked me if I could paint a painting of her favorite childhood stuffed animal, Collete, and her boyfriend, Graham's, favorite childhood bear, Chester.

They brought them over to my house way back in the Spring. I had many larger paintings to work on at the time, and I never quite made time to work on these two smaller paintings. Finally, last month, I realized that I needed to get them done in time for Christmas! I spent one painting session with Dean on each of them: I worked on Collete first, then worked on Chester's painting the next week.

The whole time I was painting these two, I know I had a smile on my face. It's no surprise that I find that I love painting these special friends that mean so much and have such a history with my sister and Graham. You can just see the "life" coming through them. There's something very special to me about painting special friends like Collete, Chester and Raggedy Ann. After completing them, I realize I may have found a special niche of a type of subject that I really enjoy.

I completed these last month in early November (in-between working on the "Taxi" painting, but I only gave them as gifts to my Sister and Graham today, so couldn't share them earlier. I really love how these two paintings turned out, and I was so happy to give them to my Sis and Graham today. :)


The two models posing with the finished paintings. They were excellent models - they were able to sit still for a full three hours, with no complaints!

I wrapped each canvas in tissue paper, placed each stuffed animal on top of the canvas, then put the whole package inside a gift bag. When my Sis and Graham first opened them, they found their stuffed friends smiling up at them.


Graham, Chester, Tiffie and Collete - reunited at last!


...and here they are, posing with their new portraits