"Family Photo"
oil on canvas, 2026
48"x 72" (122cm x 183cm)
Stuffed Animal Pile
Private Collection
the story of “Family Photo”
“Family Photo” is the first Stuffed Animal Pile painting after a 5 year hiatus and, more importantly, 5 years of creative growth.
Creating uniqueness in each plushie became the most artistically challenging aspect of this piece. Without the luxury of colors, I had to rely on brushstrokes, value selection, and the tempo or rhythm of the painting to make each plushie distinct. Although there are similarities in brushstrokes and tempo among them, you will discover that every plushie possesses its own special qualities and, more importantly, special quirks :)
This process taught me that mastery in art is an ever-elusive goal. There is always something new to learn and explore. When I initially embarked on this painting, I expected the tempo and flow to come naturally with just one color. However… I quickly realized that it unlocked a whole different level of creativity, which proved to be challenging yet immensely rewarding. It pushed me to grow as an artist and embrace the creative process on a higher level. There are certain parts of this painting that I can not explain how I painted, they just happened, and that mystery adds to its allure and wackiness.
Rendering objects in three dimensions relies heavily on understanding light and shadow, a principle which is essential in all of my paintings. However, this piece showed me how much more there is to explore within this realm. It reminded me that my artistic journey is a lifelong exploration, with countless possibilities waiting to be discovered… that is a Very tantalizing thought to me! :)
Working with only eight values of Pink and trying to differentiate each plushie proved to be quite the challenge. Unique to this painting is that a majority of the different values/hues of Pink were created by in-the-moment mixing on both the palette and painting… thus creating a myriad of different Pinks even though they all originated from the original Plushie Pink. The use of a limited color palette began as a constraint but quickly became the alluring strength of this painting… the charm that makes this painting Very unique amongst my Stuffed Animal Piles.
"Pink Riot" is a testament to my artistic growth, pushing boundaries, and embracing the unknown. It stands as a reminder that art is an ever-evolving journey, where each creation brings new lessons and opportunities for exploration :)
"Pink Riot" is currently being framed. On the left is an example of the corner of the frame and on the right is an example of the finish of the frame… Rose-Gold Leaf.