Treasure Chest, 2021

oil on canvas wrapped aluminum
60”x 118” (152cm x 300cm)

Treasure Chest is one of the largest Stuffed Animal Piles I have painted and one of the most complex in its diversity of characters and textures. A painting this size is certainly labor intensive and time consuming and as such is an incredible opportunity for growth and discovery. Looking at it today, I can clearly trace how I changed as an artist in the months I spent creating it.

There are over 30 characters in the composition, and I pushed myself to paint each one with a unique tempo that is the most fitting to that particular plushie, while simultaneously harmonizing it with the characters around it. Every patch of fur, every ribbon, and every stitch was carefully constructed to reflect a plushie’s singular personality, whether it is the cream-colored lamb with an adorable velvety pout, or the friendly fluffy dinosaur with a toothy smile made of floppy felt.

Every aspect of the painting was highly curated, from the specific selection and arrangement of each plushie, to the specific shades of colors and their composition near other colors for the most harmonious visual effect. If the painting has a mission, it is to galvanize the viewer’s sense of joy… to be a welcoming landscape of pure childlike elation and an invitation for unbridled imagination.