I am the proud mama of little Lola, a giraffe who seems strangely happy about having arrows stuck in her cute little butt. It's a mystery as to how they ended up there! Lola is special because not only is she the first toy I've ever painted, but she's also the first painting I've done in over a decade... and she's my first show entry ever!
A little background: I'm a (fairly avid) collector of vinyl, especially dunnies, and love seeing how artist turn the same basic molds into completely unique pieces full of personality. So when I was invited to participate in ONE OF ONE: The World's Greatest Custom Toy Show, I knew I wanted to customize an existing soft vinyl mold. I ended up walking out of Dick Blick with a Raffy in hand and quickly sketched out a vintage character inspired by the Disney Silly Symphonies of my childhood (particularly Elmer Elephant).
My favorite part about the creative process is watching an idea evolve as I bring it to life. I often end up in a completely different place than I had originally intended... What started as a black and white graphic style turned into rendered fur in complimentary colors, and then turned into a black and cream rendered giraffe. And so it evolved...
She turned out way better than I imagined, and that's in big thanks to help from KMNDZ and idea bouncing with family and friends. Meet her in person at the show in the dA Gallery in Pomona. You're going to see a ton of incredible work, and I'm honored to be included in this incredible experience!
❤ P