Finished up this Cropped Ear Kiss Me Boxer today thanks to the Intern having a business lunch with MeeMaw. It is in the shop now and will be the only cropped ear version I do. Check the next post if you are interested in natural ear boxers.
Created a special set of small boxer figurines especially for Valentine’s Day. The Kiss Me Boxers will be released in the shop on January 21st at 8am PST. It is an edition of 4 uniquely painted resin boxers about 3 inches tall. Each with drool bubbles and a wooden conversation heart that says Kiss Me. The 5th figure will be available through a fundraiser for Wigglin Home Boxer Rescue (second figure from the left above is for rescue).
Each figure is $150 which includes free shipping in the US.
Today was a day of painting in miniature with a couple matchbooks. The first was just a little something for fun. I had a blast painting up the sunset boxer Boris. I’m not sure her took the original picture this is based off of but I have always liked pictures of dogs underwater. Especially since my boxers hate the pool.
This one is available in the etsy shop now. All framed up.
The second matchbook was a custom order. The client wanted a painting of her beloved boxer with a background of pinks and reds. After looking at just about a million pink sunsets I finally settled on what I wanted to do for this painting. I like how soft everything looks and how Cedes seems to be almost glowing. It has a rainbow bridge feel to it.
After both of these my back was killing me from leaning over so I just figured I would take the rest of the day off. Tomorrow is the next shop update at 8am PST. Custom box orders and Love Pitties will be added.
Here is an early look at a little February project in the works. Conversation Hearts Boxers will be an edition of 4 uniquely handpainted resin boxers. Standing about 3 inches tall. With drool bubbles and holding a wooden version of my favorite Valentine’s candy, conversation hearts.
The edition of 4 will go in the shop. Not sure on a date yet as I have a couple rescue fundraisers I am planning around. Including a rescue fundraiser where we will raffle a 5th and final Conversation Hearts Boxer.
So stay tuned for more details here or on our social media.
Here is a sneak peek at a statue I am finishing up for boxer rescue fundraising. Gotta say I am smitten with how it is coming out and really looking forward to seeing people’s reactions to it. I think our rescue fundraising in 2021 will get off to a great start!
Can’t go without mentioning this ceramic figure came to us along with several other boxer figurines donated by a follower of our work, Cara. All she asked for in return is that one of the figures go to her favorite boxer rescue, Boxer Luv based out of Arizona (a rescue I know because of my bestie Lorie who introduced me their work years ago).
So they will be raffling this off through their page sometime in late January-early February. I’ll post details as well on my page and social media. He stands about 6 inches tall. Hand painted in fluid drip swirls of gloss black, pinks, reds, aquas, and metallics. He’s holding a rhinestone heart in his paw. One of one that will not be duplicated. And I keep saying ‘he’ but for those that get particular, its looking very Ken doll down there so it could easily pass either way.
Stay tuned for info on how to win this one of a kind piece of boxer artwork all while supporting rescue boxers!
The Gummi Bear Dragons. Edition of 3. Surprise drop in the shop today.
People ask all the time how I come up with my different dragons. And most of the time it’s honestly just by accident or because I’m putting off doing actual commissions work. This was definitely the latter. I should have been plugging away on custom Valentine’s Cards orders but I needed a break from dogs after the weekend. So during the Intern’s nap I got going on these and couldn’t stop till they were all finished. With all the scheduled drops in the shop this month I figure just throwing these guys out there would be fun.
So in 2020 I offered up custom valentines day cards for order, and boy, that escalated quickly! They sold out in a couple days and I was up to my eyeballs in tiny watercolor paintings on heart shaped cardstock. And this was in the middle of having the Intern not sleeping through the night. So I got overwhelmed pretty quickly, buckled down and finished the last one saying Never again….
But then Covid happened…and is still happening….
So since we can’t do things the same way we did back in early 2020, I thought people might appreicate the option again of a custom card to send a loved one.
The way to purchase a custom card is through our etsy shop. There are four different styles of cards to choose from. You can order multiples through our package offers. You can get them done in authentic style (aka looks like the picture you send me) or rainbow style (colorful rainbow splash). And I can either send the card back to you to deliver or ship it to the recipient to receive by the holiday.
Right now the cutoff date is February 4th. But if I hit my limit before then I may have to cutoff sooner. So far orders have been at a slow and steady pace that I have been able to keep up. I expect after people see whether they snag one of the custom boxes the orders will start to pick up.
Any questions, feel free to reach out. Best way is messaging through social media or the etsy shop.
The Love Pitties will end up being an edition of 4 uniquely painted customized Danger Dogs (Tenacious Toys). Each a variant marbled paint swirl, iridescent heart eyes with rhinestone collars and glass heart.
They will be in the Etsy shop January 15th at 8am PST. Which is the same day we open up the custom box orders so keep that in mind if you’re interested in both.
Each figure us signed and numbered with its own gift box. At $85 each.
I came across this piece a week ago. It debuted at my very first Five Points show in 2017. I had already packed up my inventory for the show with a couple days to spare. Rather than sit around and be nervous, I got to work on what would eventually become ‘Honey’. Finishing the day before I was scheduled to leave for NYC. I posted a picture and immediately got a message from someone saying they would be at the show. And they wanted to buy it.
To be honest, that happens quite a bit. What is rare, is someone actually following through. That’s how I met my now good friend Jimi. Because he sent a friend who attended Five Points to come purchase Honey for him. Telling me it was his first designer toy purchase. And it was a piece of art compared to his Funko collection. And even years later when he stopped collecting toys and starting selling some pieces off, he still has Honey displayed prominently in his home.
So why am I telling you about Jimi lol well I was looking back in my feed for Five Points stuff because I heard another person who had purchased my work from that show had recently passed away. I am not sure exactly how and it doesn’t matter. I just know that hearing the news sucked. And I only ever saw her at Five Points shows.
Lindsey was a kind soul. She saw a piece of mine on Instagram and made an effort to stop by my booth. I am not a big artist. I certainly wasn’t then. Most people zoom past my booth on their way to other booths. But Lindsey came up and talked me for a while. Commenting on my work and asking about my dog aka Management. She was a genuinely good person. She made me feel like I was a famous artist in just a ten minute conversation. And after that first time she continued to follow me on social media and send me messages about my pieces. Even sharing my work in other toy groups trying to get people to notice me. Hearing she had passed away and so young, it was just a bummer. The world needs more Lindseys in it.
But this all got me thinking on the kind of work that I want to be creating. As much as I love doing the customs and painting up dragons etc, I miss having just a resin body and wood block in my hand and coming up with characters from scratch. I miss working with wire and trying to challenge myself with each piece to top the piece before. I want to leave behind more pieces like Honey that people can’t bear to part with.
My goal in 2021 is to get back to the art in art toy. And to experiment more with my creations. Too often I find myself leaning towards the what will sell/help me pay my bills and away from the work that truly feeds my soul. I don’t want the only good thing I do as an artist to be that I donate to rescues.
A break in the weather yesterday along with an opportunity for a babysitter allowed me to get going on a few more Love Pitties for the end of this month.
First round of paint swirls have been applied. And these guys are getting there rhinestone collars and heart eyes/nose detailing finished up today.
Still not sure on an exact release date but the goal is to have them ready and gift boxed in time for Valentine’s day. It will be a total of four Love Pitties. (The two in the video with a bit more blue and gold are for a different round of Pitties coming out closer to Designer Con. I definitely recommend you keep tabs on our Dcon updates if you are a Pittie lover. I have three pitbull related releases planned for the booth this year).
