Time Lapse Totoro

 

This is my entry to Gallery Nucleus's blog for their Inspired by Studio Ghibli event. + the time lapse video of me painting it.

My Top 3 Fave Painters

So today I decided to share my top five fave painters with you, of all the artists I follow on twitter/blogs/etc... there are 3 that I just can't wait to see new work from.

3.) Johnny Yanok



I'm such a Nerd for Johnny Yanok's art, I even go to the lengths of buying his gift card designs from Target, and saving the package because of the beautiful illustrations on it.  I have yet to buy a painting from him, but you can be sure I will!  Johnny's work is full of cute characters, textures and colors.  I always love to see what he is coming out with next, it could be something as awesome as original art to hang on your walls, a card game, or even cute kids stuff from Leapster.  Funny story, my 3 year old niece wanted to play with me, she brought me over a puzzle that she had, it was some leapster thing and I was like ok, kids toy, whatever, but then I looked and it was Johnny's art on the toy and I was like, "Oh wow (insert name of niece here) That's Johnny Yanok's art!" and she said to me (because it was an elephant), "It's a Johnny-Phunt?" and we laughed and I said yes it's a Johnny-Phunt.  She asked me all sorts of questions about who he was and what is art.  I love 3 year olds!  Anyways... I'm going to be in a show with Mr. Yanok and Mr. Ketner this June at Rivet Gallery.  Be sure to check it out!  P.S. Johnny you need to post more of your art online, I'm going through withdrawal!!!

Check out more of his work on his WEBSITE and follow him on TWITTER

2.) Jeremiah Ketner



Definitely can't deny the skill this guy has, the colors and the character designs are through the roof amazing.   My favorite of all of his characters would have to be the little dew drop spirit guys in the middle painting (the blue ones) they're such a simple design but so adorable and awesome.  Also!  I'm going to be in a show with Mr. Ketner and Mr. Yanok this June at Rivet Gallery.  Be sure to check it out!

Check out more of his work on FLICKR his shop on BIGCARTEL and be sure to follow him on TWITTER

1.) Krista Huot



Krista was like a gateway drug for me to the world of painting.  If it wasn't for her I wouldn't be a painter at all.  I found her on MySpace 2-3 years ago and asked her for tips/help on how to get into galleries and at the time I was doing only digital art.  She suggested to me that I start painting, just like Gary Baseman had suggested to her.  So I took her advice.  She's not only an awesome painter but also an awesome person.   Gah!  I'm going into fan girl mode.  I love Krista Huot's work, she creates ethereal ladies and creatures with her paint and brushes and they never cease to fill my heart with wonder, her work is so very magical to me.

Check out more of her work on FLICKR and be sure to follow her on TWITTER

~Kat

Rip Van Winkle with Birds

Rip Van Winkle with Birds

Originally uploaded by kedowning

I love Kathryn Downing's Rip Van Winkle series of paintings. They're all so wonderful! Sleepy beardy men with things living in their beards, what could be better!
You can click the photo to go to her flickr & see more, or you can check out her shop here!

Pyknic Toy by Gregg Abbot

Pyknic Toy, originally uploaded by Greg Abbott.

Gregg Abbot just released images of his toy he designed for Pyknic. The colors are fantastic and some of my all time favorites, and the bear has a real creepy/cute vibe going on. :)

He says, "The toy I designed for Pyknic has just been released!

This is a limited one of a kind item, and there will be only 500 made."

Like what you see?  Check out more of Greg's art on FLICKR.

Samantha Whitten's Puddle Bunny

Samantha Whitten aka Celesse on DeviantArt has been making drawings of her adorable puddle bunnies for years, and now she's having plush toys produced!  I want a million of them to swim around in,  so cute!   Hehe a puddle of Puddle bunnies.  (I'm such a girl.)

She says "Puddle bunnies are round, fat and squishy blobs of bunny! And now you can have your very own! Professionally manufactured with embroidered features and made with super soft material for ultra cuddle-ability. Plush is approximately 6 inches in height.

All pre-orders will receive a free matching button!"

You can pre-order one now for only $15 dollars!  They'll be for sale for the regular price of $18.

Like what you see?  Check out her shop SUGAR BUNNY SHOP and her DEVIANTART for more awesome art!

Two Time Lapse Videos

Chelsea and I have done some videos of us doing our thing.

Check it out!

Chelsea's video

Kat's video [blip.tv ?posts_id=3278209&dest=-1]

Paintings by Pocket Owl

I get so excited to share new artists on here, and I've been a fan of Becky Dreistadt for a long while now.  Becky Dreistadt aka Pocket Owl makes Beautiful art that looks like it stepped out of a vintage children's story book.  She uses gouache paints to create fantastical pictures of owls and tigers and dragons, OH MY!

Like what you see?  Check Becky out on DEVIANTART, her WEBCOMIC and BLOG!

Rocket Kiddie Ride by Feltmates

Feltmates work is fantastic!  I love her sculptural needlefelt characters.  This guy is one of my favorites!
Feltmates says: "A Feltmates Kiddie Ride of a yellow rocket. The feltmate rider inside is having a swell time. Zoom to Outer Space! Ride the Yellow Rocket!

This Feltmates Kiddie Ride is one of the larger and more detailed artworks from Feltmates. It is needle-felted with 100% wool and is connected to a hand painted MDF base with a wooden rod covered in metal tubing."
You can check out more of Feltmates work on her Etsy, or on her Flickr!!

Feltidermy by Girlsavage

A plush artist I have admired since I started making plush myself, has been Girlsavage.  Her work is so wonderfully made!  Her feltidermies are made all of wool felt, handsewn, and she stains the wooden plaques herself.  She's made so many different feltidermy (felt taxidermy!) creatures, but my personal favorites are the jackabunnies (This one plus a few others available in her shop!) & her feltidermy squid below (sold).
Check out more of Girlsavage's work on her Etsy, Blog, or Twitter!

Bonjour Mon Amour by Talkproof

Bonjour, Mon amor is a mini print made by Talkproof!  It's 4" by 5" & modeled after on of her plush toys (Geoffrey!), printed on Epson Ultra Premium Luster Photo Paper Glossy photo paper!  The plush is sold, but the print is available on her shop!  I just love the way they look together. :D


You can also find Talkproof on Twitter, and Etsy. She takes custom orders!

Zodiac Custom House of Lui Mei Mei and Di Di

MeSmithy has a knack for encasing vinyl toys completely in fabric, she's always made fantastic customs and has just sent me her photos of her latest, she says, "They are the House of Lui: Mei Mei and Di Di that I changed to be animals of the chinese Zodiac!"  The combination of paint and costumes on these guys are fantastic!  I just love that tiger's fluffy tail and the horns on the Ram are really superb.

Like what you see?  Follow MeSmithy on TWITTER and check out more of her art on her BLOGSPOT.

The Forest of Crows Shirt

A little self promo here, My crow shirt design is up for voting on Threadless, you will have to create an account, however it only takes a moment to sign up.  Please vote for it and help it win :) VOTE HERE. I kinda need to rock this in my husband's hometown, "Crow Town".

Lunabee's Custom Arcas for Iksentrik's Knuckle Sandwich Show

Just spied this on Lunabee's Flickr page, I'm really digging the way she incorporates a character AND a scene into her toys.   Everyone know's I love a good night time scene and I really love that little town painted on his belly and his long wispy beard. :)

Like what you see? Check out more of Lunabee's art on FLICKR and follow her on TWITTER.

New Customs by Fshizz

Alexander Gürlich aka Fshizz is a toy customizer from Prague, Czech republic.  He makes really cool, creative customs.  These are just a few of my favorites that he has done.  I especially like the Monster Hangover custom, that is probably the coolest barf I've ever seen, I kind of wish it was painted in rainbow colors lol.

Like what you see?  Check out more of his work on FLICKR and be sure to follow him on TWITTER.

Stump Plush by SteffBomb

Someone's work I've really been admiring lately is Steffbomb.  Her creatures are simple, but really unique.  Each plush she makes you can tell came from her, because of their distinct little lips.  Which is my favorite part about these stump plushes!
So clever!  The rest of her shop is occupied by cute delicious food plush, like cotton candy & ice cream sandwiches.  All with her distinctive, wonderful faces.

You should really check out more of her work at her Etsy, or her website!

Muju Water Guardian

I've been a HUGE fan of Muju for a while now, and hadn't looked at their work recently.  So today I logged onto their ETSY shop to see what new and amazing plush creations they have been coming up with.

And just to get this out there, if it wasn't obvious enough already from my paintings, I love blue and purple everything, especially when placed against white or black .  So when I saw this I HAD to post about it, even though it's normally Chelsea's job to post about plush.  The detail in this plush is ridiculous, it's so immaculate.  I could just go on and on, so I'll stop and let you make your own opinions of how awesome this toy is.

Muji says, "This is Handmade by muju in 2009, the giant Muju Elemental Guardians are a series of Plush soft sculptures exhibited in Holland as part of the MOMA festival in Arnhem.
Now they are available to buy here.

The Muju Water Guardian stands approx 30cm tall and is made from recycled felt. Each felt shape was hand cut & assembled in the Muju studio.

This Muju plush is free standing, but also has a loop on the back, so it can be hung on the wall too.

Earth, Fire & Water are the biggest felt toys produced by mrs muju so far.


*Please note this is an Art object & not a toy for young children*"

Like what you see?  Check out Muju's Etsy Shop to see more of their awesome toys.

Abstinence is Key by Jade Nellans

Abstinence is key is the name of this ridiculously awesome, creepy and hilarious print by Jade Nellans!  I stumbled across her work on Etsy & fell in love with everything she does.  Most of my favorites by her seem to center around cats, like this one as well titled "Greed"
Her prints come in large 8 x 10 Gilcee prints, small ACEO's or in 5 packs of notecards.

Her Etsy shop can be found here, or you can check out her website here!

Wigby by Love and a Sandwich

Chelsea Bloxom aka Love and a Sandwich makes some of the most creative, cute, and just down right awesome plush toys I have ever seen.  She recently has branched out into custom toys, and paintings. (which you can see in her Etsy Shop)  No one can resist the coolness that is Love and a Sandwich.

Here's what Chelsea has to say about Wigby, "Monster octopuses, or the Monstroctopi, are some of the most friendly and cuddly creatures in the ocean. Upon researching these creatures strange behavior, it was discovered that the babies of the Monstroctopi were so loving that they enjoyed floating around the ocean floors, not to find food, but to find other creatures to hug. At first glance it may look like an attack, but the baby monstroctopi wraps its tentacles around the creature in a loving, gentle way."


Wigby is about 6 1/2 inches tall
12 inch antlerspan
3.5 inch long tentacles
Handsewn & Machinesewn!

Like what you see?  Follow Love and a Sandwich on Twitter and be sure to check out more of her art on Flickr.

Detective Sam Spade by Kevin Gosselin

Ok,  I'm floored by this guys talent, Kevin Gosselin has completely transformed this mini munny, I almost thought it was a from scratch figurine BUUUT the ears gave it away.  What really does it for me is that tiny hand sculpted revolver (I love revolvers!) check out how the pistol grip has been beautifully etched. And don't forget the tiny police badge.  Everything about this custom is top of the line, great job Kevin, looking forward to seeing more work from you.

He says, "Following my two recent commissions, the vampire and the artist series suffocating piece, I was asked by the same private collector to create a custom munny with the police officer theme. To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of police officers especially after my recent experience with jury duty. But after mulling this concept over I did remember one detective that has always arrested my attention. That would be one Sam Spade. Sam Spade is the legendary character from the 1941 film classic, The Maltese Falcon, portraited by one of Hollywood's best, Humphrey Bogart. Now in the film, Bogie plays a private detective and not a police officer, but I took some liberty with the character and suggested a Sam Spade from his years prior to his private practice.

The custom was created using a 4" Mini Munny, wire, polymer clay and acrylic paint."

Like what you see?  Check out more of Kevin's awesome art Here.

Dwight by Felt Mistress

Felt Mistress recently uploaded "Dwight" to her flickr.  It's rare to see plush that are so detailed that they look like an illustration come to life, but she does it time and time again.

She says, "Dwight owns his own auto-repair business and likes monster trucks and "purdy ladies". Dwight is 66cm tall."

With the way he's posed I can see him sharing tales from the monster truck rally with his friends. "That there truck was THIS BIG."

If you like what you see be sure to check out Felt Mistress's Flickr and follow her on Twitter

Follow the White Rabbit's Boba Fett Plush

My friend Emily Beaulieu, aka Follow the White Rabbit, just finished this rad commission for Mark Austin, who played Boba Fett in the Special Edition of Star Wars: A New Hope.  Emily is a very talented artist, not only does she make amazingly detailed plush,  she's an accomplished animator, a stunning photographer and she customizes vinyl/resin toys.

She Says,
"Mark was an animator at ILM when he was asked to play Boba Fett in the new Mos Eisley docking bay sequence with Han Solo + Jabba The Hutt. He was already a huge Boba Fett fan prior to his role in the film, so having the chance to play his favourite character in the Star Wars legacy was amazing experience for him. I met Mark when we were animators on the movie G-Force at Sony Imageworks. Mark saw photos of my Princess Leia + R2D2 plush for the Stitch Wars plush show and asked me to create a plush based on his favourite Star Wars character. Boba Fett is by far my most detailed and time consuming plush doll to date, but I really enjoyed using image references so I could add lots of little detailed stitching. :)"

If you like what you see, you can follow Emily on Twitter and check out more of her art on Flickr

Doktor Scribblez and Mizter Titan

Doktor Scribblez And Mizter Titan is an 18 yr. old artist out of Minneapolis, MN who now lives in Sanibel, Fl, and attends school in Burlington, VT.  Just sent me this cool, funky monster/graffiti style art.  The style is very reminiscent to me of one of my favorite shows from my childhood, Ah! Real Monsters, but different and very unique.  I totally love his shoes.

He says, "He is an MC from XAAX, a fictional place, who is cursed with being just as ugly as his rhymes."

Like what you see?  Follow Doktor Scribblez and Miizter Titan on Twitter

Our First Giveaway!

We're having our first giveaway!  The prize is a signed and doodled on Argyle Owl mini print from me, Kat Brunnegraff :)   It's easy to enter all you have to do is ReTweet about this on twitter and let other people know about Toyrannosaurus.com!  The prize will be given away once we reach 500 followers!

Shelly Rodriguez's Ika Plush

Everyone seems to have squid on the brain, including Shelly Rodriguez.  Her new plush toy Ika is cute but cool.  I don't know what it is but I'm really loving Orange this month. (Must be a combination of the color and ocean animals making me think of summer, the beach and that elusive sun)

Shelly says, "

Ika is a happy, cuddly squid who likes to live with happy people.

Ika is 6.5" tall and 5.5" wide across his eyes. He is soft, cuddly and shiny, with embroidered eyes and painted details."

He sure looks cuddly, and I might have to pick one up myself, with a $20 price point, that's not too difficult.

Like what you see?  Pick one up from Shelly's shop.

Shofarkids

I just got this in from Rosana at Shofarkids, these new toys are SOOO cute.  They're Ika the squid, Pex the shark, and Vico the Seahorse, I love the colors and shapes and expressions but I'd have to say my favorite is the Seahorse Vico, his shape is just so great, and while I'm not usually a fan of Orange, it so works for this and reminds me of a Creamsicle.  I know the target market is Kids but I so want a Vico for me!  So cute. ;)



Rosana writes,

"Ika Vico and Pex, give life the brand SHOFARKIDS
to launch a product line comfortable, and innovative use of dual use.

With the motto "Live, play and love" ShofarKids launches its
first product pillows-toyart in the figures of a seahorse called Vico, a
Squid called Ika, and a fish named Pex.
So thinking about nature, brand creates dual-use. This is the case of
packaging of pads that can also be used as a backpack to upload things to
the beach or pool.

These characters are the protagonists in recreational books
written in Portuguese, Spanish and english , using reading as a bridge
recreation for the teaching of a language more fun and modern. There will
be books for babies, for young readers and adults readers

Also these little friends of the sea are made to
decorate bathrooms, bedrooms and other environments.

The freshness of the brand reflects the tropical spirit of
Venezuela-Brazil, as well as the beauty of nature.

Shofarkids is  a brand for custumized toys, but it  never forgets  about
handmade arts -monolho-"


If you like what you see be sure to check out their website!
www.shofarkids.com (shofarkids customized toys)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/monolhoart/ (monolho handmade arts)

The Last Unicorn Art Show

I'll be participating int the Last Unicorn Art Show this April, and I'm pretty excited about it.  I'm hoping to be able to go to the opening, we'll see, it's a long drive.  I recently completed my piece for the show called "The Journey Begins".

It's 11.25"x24" Acrylic paints on Poplar wood

Here's more info about the show!

THE LAST UNICORN ART SHOW

Friday, April 16^th, 2010 from 7 to 11pm, the Tattoo Factory Gallery located at 4443 N. Broadway in Chicago, IL along with Pabst Blue Ribbon

proudly present

"THE LAST UNICORN ART SHOW"

a group art show celebrating the stunning, inspiring and legendary movie

THE LAST UNICORN

with very special guest

Peter S. Beagle

author, musician and creator of one of the greatest movies of all time.

Peter S. Beagle's THE LAST UNICORN is a timeless fantasy story full of adventure and surprise, set within a poetic and humorous world of legend. The novel has been a cult classic since it was first published in 1968, selling over 6 million copies around the world in more than 20 languages. In 1982 the story was adapted by Peter S. Beagle and Rankin-Bass into one of the greatest animated films of all time.

Peter S. Beagle is the author of numerous screenplays and books, including THE LAST UNICORN, A FINE AND PRIVATE PLACE, and TAMSIN. His many honors include the Hugo, Nebula, Locus, and Mythopoeic Fantasy Awards.

THE LAST UNICORN is a magical story full of positive imagery with a message of peace, understanding,  and positive change and growth.  It's not only about heroes, wizardry, winning battles, and fighting monsters; it is a tale about growing up and the discovery of your special place in the world: an original fairy tale of transformation and the realization of our dreams.

To coincide with the gallery show, there will be screening of THE LAST UNICORN on Saturday, April 17th. (Location TBD). A Q&A with Peter S. Beagle will be conducted after the movie.

Artists participating in the show are (more may be added later):

Alexandrea Pataky, Alphonso Myers, Andrea Jablonski, Anna Cerniglia, Anne-Katrin Elliot, Beth Cicso, Brian Gubicza, Brianne Drouhard, Chelsea Bloxsom aka Love and a Sandwich, Cheri Gutierrez, Czr Prz, Dean Landry, Dustin Hostetler, Ellen Greene, Greg Shirilla, Jaisen Ehas, Jason Fennell, Jen Maddin, Jenny Frisson, Jeremy Scheuch, Joey D, Jourdon Gullett, Kat Brunnegraff, Kelli Becker, Lana Crooks, Lauri Apple, Martin Cimek, Max Minor, Maya Sinstress, Michelle Dreher, Mitch O'Connell, Nick Nihira, Richard Batts, Stephanie Laberis, Tessa Graves, Tessa Paleologos, Thea Schultheiss, and Yum Yum.

(Information taken from Jeremy Scheuch's website http://www.jeremyscheuch.com/mbr_purchase.php)

New Work from Kelly Vivanco

Kelly Vivanco just posted a link to some new paintings for sale here... http://www.threegracesgallery.com/Teeny_Tiny_6/kelly_vivanco.html

I really enjoy her work, a perfect blend of beautiful and cute.  These paintings are tiny, framed, ready to hang, and selling out fast!  Go get one before they're gone!


Like what you see?  Follow Kelly on Twitter