I feel very Toy Story-ish about the box of beanie babies and other plushies I have saved. They had such lives and personalities as the kids built forts and made clothes for them. They put on plays with them and carried them to doctor's visits, show and tell, and brought them on vacation. Their very stuffing is full of the magic of childhood. Now that I have very small grandchildren, I need to clean these babies up so they can continue their journey!
*But honestly no movie has torn at my heart the way the Toy Story series did- the first 2 because I couldn't make myself watch the third. Andy is my oldest son's age. When we was packing up his toys to go to college, we were doing the same. I came undone and cried more than any grown-up should at a kids movie😂 I think I may have scarred some small children 😂🤪
I love the Toy Story movies so much! They were definitely in my mind even though these are not childhood things. I really love your phrase: “Their very stuffing if full of the magic of childhood.” That’s wonderful, and I hope you DO clean them up for the grandchildren. What a special treat that would be to see them continue to be loved.
My daughter used to collect beanie bears and I would scour the shops for the collectable ones that she really wanted. When she felt she had outgrown them and no longer wanted them on her shelves, I felt a real sense of loss. I still remember how sad I was every time I see a vintage one on collectors stalls or second hand shops. I hope that whatever you decide with the bears brings some sense of closure. X
Thank you, Janette. I can imagine how you felt when her collection went away…. Yours in a vicarious sense maybe and also a symbol of her growing up. Thank you for commenting!
I'm sorry I haven't commented here before now. I treasure each and every one of your weekly missives and meanderings, so many thoughts that echo my own. Last year, in one of these posts, you suggested drawing treasured ornaments as a way of documenting a collection. I immediately dug out the beaten and battered box of ornaments from the bottom of the closet in the spare bedroom...and that's as far as I got. The back story here is that I lost my leg March 2020 and I haven't been able to put up a tree since (no on around willing to help me dig out all the holiday trappings.) I miss all that stuff terribly, the rituals and routines as well as the physical bits & bobs. But then, when faced with the actual box of ornaments, those long languishing objects held enough memorial power just in their existence to halt my new project in its tracks. The box still sits where I dragged it, waiting. The special sketchbook I designated for the project also waits. I think maybe I am anticipating (and forestalling) grieving the loss of my leg and my independence if I start in on those ornaments. I might start thinking about what Parkinson's is going to take from me in upcoming years. But I do know, even with all the grief that may come when I open that box, there will be joy too...and sweet memories and hilariously bad renderings...I can't wait. Thank you for this gift of writing you share each week. It feels like a light in the dark sometimes. As always I look forward to seeing where your wonderings & wanderings take us next...💕 from a fellow rambler...
Thank you, Michelle, for commenting! I am happy to know that you find something week to week in the words, and I am happy you jumped in today. I am really sorry about the loss of your leg and the ongoing medical challenges, and I’m really sorry, too, that these things have made putting up the tree impossible since it is something that had meaning for you. I love knowing that you pulled out the box - even though it was too much at the time. I hope you tackle them when it feels right, maybe as we move into fall. You’ve been doing robots, right? I know your ornaments would be wonderful. Maybe there is a way to string ornaments differently and still display them — not on a tree.
Good morning! I love your teddy art. Drawing them is a wonderful way to express yourself and your feelings. I would be tempted to say a special bear sketchbook for all the teddies together….How magnificent that could be! I would love to see pictures of them all! What stories they could tell.
You can still draw some of them in your illustrated journal.
I had a sawdust stuffed Airedale dog from childhood that I adored. He is long gone. I would have had him repaired. My Dad won me a large panda bear at the local fair when I was very little. That was pretty special, the winning was more than the bear.
I have a handmade jointed bear made by a dear friend who died of breast cancer. He is the size and weight of a newborn baby. My latest cat has decided to attack his sweater so I have put him away. I will hold on to him until I die. He means the most to me. I have drawn his numerous times.
I started rescuing 18 “ dolls from thrift stores and fixing them up for my granddaughters ( now 6 and 8) to play with when they visit. The dolls are so disheveled and naked (where do their clothes go!?). Some shampoo and conditioner and lots of brushing makes them better than new! They are not cuddly like a bear. I might end up drawing them in some of their outfits. I wish I could still sew.
I also rescue stuffed toys on occasion. I prefer the Folkmanis puppets. I love the big elephant and have added a turtle recently. I gave the grandsons each a new Snowy owl when they were little. I don’t think they loved them as much as I do.
Thank you for the link. I enjoyed reading it and seeing her photos. My grandson’s English grandmother knitted him an olive green teddy he called Eddy Teddy.
I think we have a Repair cafe here in Vancouver. There used to be a doll hospital near a place I worked. It was meant for precious old dolls not the new variety.
I love hearing about your special stuffed things, Gail, and how wonderful that you rescue and refurbish the dolls for your grandchildren. I don’t have a lot of experience with dolls, but I do think the clothes are pretty amazing! I am sure the kids love these gifts, soft or not. I had never even heard of a repair cafe type thing until I read that post. Such a cool community idea! (Thanks for the feedback about where to draw the bears.)
I love that photo of the bench Amy, great angles and lines, light and dark. I love to hear that this project sounds exciting for you! It sounds lovely, meaningful, and doable! I hope your exploration of the planning/starting part goes well. I had a special big bear as a kid. When each of my kids were born I got them a big bear, and did their monthly “baby” photos next to their respective bear as a sense of scale. Very cute photos but neither of them seemed to bond with their bear per se. But I still keep both those bears. 🧸
That’s a very cool way to track growth, Lauren. Even though they didn’t bond with the bears, I bet the photos are really special. I love it that you kept the bears, too. There is a lot of history tucked in.
I have trouble separating sentiment from stuff and have held onto items I'm sure many would have easily let go. Rather than drawings and illustrations, I reach for my camera and did so to document the things I left behind when we closed out my parents' condo. But that, to me, was different from the process you're facing. My life was no longer intertwined with theirs, so the stories and my attachments to them had faded a bit. Not to say that I didn't keep as much as I could!
Whatever route you take, Amy, or process you follow - or don't - is as it's meant to be, of that I am certain.
I think drawing or photographing is much the same in this respect…. And both create a record with a reduced footprint, one that can be digitally stored and easily moved. I think that was was a wonderful way to approach your parents’ things. Even if more removed from them at that point, the items still held history and story and may have been portals for your own memory. I love knowing you did that.
Yes, the history and stories were and are every bit as meaningful, but the wound was slightly less ragged. That process also happened two months after we bid our final goodbyes, so again, there was time to gain my footing again. We all have our own timelines to work within, and there is no right or wrong -- right? ;)
I have a very special bear named Henri. In 1996 I was in a shop and he was near the register. He’s filled with little pellets and I was dancing him around the counter (the pellets gave his legs a fun feeling) as my mom paid for something (I was in my thirties). We were visiting relatives and I left first. A few weeks later I went to see her and she handed me a shopping back and there he was. Such a surprise! I brought him home and my boyfriend and I were smitten. He is a Boyd’s bear, very scruffy, and seemingly one of a kind, as I’ve never been able to find another one. His legend began. Henri is a doctor and soon joined forces with a little Quasimodo figure from a fast food restaurant. Quasi became a nurse.
One day we were watching a Law & Order rerun and my bf had Henri doing a very dramatic interpretive dance to the show’s theme song. He had different levels of exertion depending on which version of L&O it was. This always made me laugh. We called Henri, Quasi, and their expanding circle of friends, the Koopies. A few years later my bf and I broke up, yet remained friends. He eventually moved back to his homeland of South Africa. We stayed in touch, but talk of the Koopies faded away. He died last year at the young age of 53, and amongst the sadness for his wife and young children, I felt the loss of my connection with Henri and his world.
Marcy - what a wonderful story of discovering Henri and then sharing him (and Quasi) with your boyfriend. I am sorry to hear of his passing and the loss of that connection. You still have Henri? I am a big fan of Boyd’s bears. I have no doubt Henri is (or was) adorable. Thank you for telling me about him.
I do indeed still have Henri (and Quasi). Henri was very delicate and split down his back seam, probably from strenuous dancing! My mom sewed him back up. I’ll DM you a photo on Instagram. I love the idea of drawing some of your bears. They really hold so much emotion.
The archaeology of your lives together. I love that idea. It honours those years and that special person as you carefully uncover, record and make sense of what you find and figure out how it relates to future you.
For me, I think I would put the bears in a separate special book and maybe lace them with other special treasure such as the salt and pepper shakers. Add written memories if youre drawn too.
It's taken me years to declutter and downsize and I'm finally seeing progress and better yet healing. A little section at a time and when I've needed the extra support, a helper (usually one of my kids) to push me a little.
Thinking of you my friend. Enjoy the bears and beanies and exploring new art techniques.
Thank you for your words and for seeing me. I am often reminded that I know so little of where readers are coming from. I am glad you have had some help and nudges when you needed them along the way. I appreciate the feedback about the separate sketchbook. I hesitate to make it a “thing” (with standalone pressure) rather than just part of my week, but I hear you. I’m thinking about it. Have a good week ahead.
I just remembered Bernard, a small bear, about 4 inches tall, with jointed legs and arms attached by buttons. I sent him to my younger daughter when she was in college. Then I was surprised that I missed him. But when I asked her about him, she didn’t know what I was talking about. It’s always a surprise when others don’t value the things you do. I remember he made of brown plaid wool.
Oh, that is sad, Fran. I know what you mean though, but I fear that happens with so many things.... we value them and hope someone else will, but often that doesn't happen. I try to really not pass on or harbor any expectations.
It’s important to learn to let go. My mother, having had so little in her early life, was very careful of her possessions. She’d pass them on to me and I’d break them or squirrel them away. She made me a lovely fisherman’s knit vest but I didn’t like the wide sleeves and never wore it. I think that hurt her.
Amy, this is such a poignant, heart-string-plucking post - and I'm so grateful to you for sharing my own post within it. Thank you so much.
Bears have accompanied me through thick and thin, and they've played such an important role in my life - not just in childhood but beyond.
In fact, a little over twenty years ago when I was recovering from illness and not yet fit for work again I found myself dabbling in art, and I often reached for my plush companions as subjects because I knew them so well - the tiny polar bear which had hung out in my dressing gown pocket when I was in hospital, Bingo and Button who came everywhere with me for a while (I drew them looking out of the window on a steam-train journey we'd taken to celebrate a family occasion), and eventually a group portrait of ALL of our family bears which I had made into a jigsaw to give to my mum for Christmas.
I've loved reading and re-reading this post, and it's taken me a couple of days to come back and comment. I've got goosepimples just at the thought of saying goodbye to my own companions. Thank you for such a treat of a post. 🐻
Thank you for reading and commenting, Rebecca. I was so charmed to find your little red bear post -- and to see here that you have a longer history with the bears is wonderful. I love knowing that the bears proved to be such good subjects for drawing at various points. I can only imagine the group portrait was wonderful (and a special keepsake puzzle, for sure).
My special bear is a small polar bear that my Jim gave me for my birthday. I love polar bears and love to draw them. I also have swim paddles that look like polar bear paws, so that's what we call them. Asking yourself the question about drawing fast enough registered! I've asked myself that, too, when it feels like there's so much that wants to come out of my liner, or brush, or pen. What I'm drawing this week: more people than I usually do. I want to learn to draw them simply and quickly. It's a big challenge for me.
I like knowing people have a special something, like a special polar bear. I hope you are enjoying the week's drawings. (I just looked at the most recent days, and I love your sticky note drawings!) People and full bodies are certainly a challenge for me, too. I've been drawing from TV images this week.... small portraits are tough!
I’m glad you like the sticky note drawings😀. They’re fun to do, no pressure. For drawing people, I’ve started taking selfies (which I don’t like to do) and using those images to draw from. TV images is a great idea, too! Maybe I’ll try that. Yes, small (and big) portraits are tough, for me any way!
A once a week selfie is something I do in my journal, too. I use Sktchy as a source for the rest of my portraits. It’s a great resource for portrait work.
(I’ve been using it for years. If you have trouble finding it, they did a name change a few years back. It’s Museum by Sktchy. But it’s a free resource and a great way to source portrait inspiration.)
I have a bear that was given to me before I was born. I named him Creepy Crackers because he creeps at night to eat crackers, (and I am sure I believed that was true when I named him). My daughter made him his own little booties, a hat, and a vest out of felt and string when she was little.
My mother-in-law collected beanie babies…she gave me an Erin Bear which I was pretty excited about and still have…such a lovely shade of green.
Maybe I have already mentioned how I drew some of the kids’ stuffed animals and glued the drawings on pendant Christmas ornaments after they were destroyed by mice. I drew them and got rid of them, but I had to get rid of them. Objects can carry such powerful meaning. I love that you are drawing the bears.
I definitely have the shamrock bear! That's neat that you have that one. Creepy Crackers .... sounds scarier than he is, I'm sure. I bet the clothes were really sweet. If I had ever been one to play with such things, I think clothes would have been good! -- Your solution to preserving the memory of the stuffed animals that needed to be disposed of is wonderful.
Wonderful examination and words always Amy. The word winnow comes to my heart.
Thank you so much for reading and commenting, Jetton! I appreciate the feedback, always.
I feel very Toy Story-ish about the box of beanie babies and other plushies I have saved. They had such lives and personalities as the kids built forts and made clothes for them. They put on plays with them and carried them to doctor's visits, show and tell, and brought them on vacation. Their very stuffing is full of the magic of childhood. Now that I have very small grandchildren, I need to clean these babies up so they can continue their journey!
*But honestly no movie has torn at my heart the way the Toy Story series did- the first 2 because I couldn't make myself watch the third. Andy is my oldest son's age. When we was packing up his toys to go to college, we were doing the same. I came undone and cried more than any grown-up should at a kids movie😂 I think I may have scarred some small children 😂🤪
I love the Toy Story movies so much! They were definitely in my mind even though these are not childhood things. I really love your phrase: “Their very stuffing if full of the magic of childhood.” That’s wonderful, and I hope you DO clean them up for the grandchildren. What a special treat that would be to see them continue to be loved.
My daughter used to collect beanie bears and I would scour the shops for the collectable ones that she really wanted. When she felt she had outgrown them and no longer wanted them on her shelves, I felt a real sense of loss. I still remember how sad I was every time I see a vintage one on collectors stalls or second hand shops. I hope that whatever you decide with the bears brings some sense of closure. X
Thank you, Janette. I can imagine how you felt when her collection went away…. Yours in a vicarious sense maybe and also a symbol of her growing up. Thank you for commenting!
I'm sorry I haven't commented here before now. I treasure each and every one of your weekly missives and meanderings, so many thoughts that echo my own. Last year, in one of these posts, you suggested drawing treasured ornaments as a way of documenting a collection. I immediately dug out the beaten and battered box of ornaments from the bottom of the closet in the spare bedroom...and that's as far as I got. The back story here is that I lost my leg March 2020 and I haven't been able to put up a tree since (no on around willing to help me dig out all the holiday trappings.) I miss all that stuff terribly, the rituals and routines as well as the physical bits & bobs. But then, when faced with the actual box of ornaments, those long languishing objects held enough memorial power just in their existence to halt my new project in its tracks. The box still sits where I dragged it, waiting. The special sketchbook I designated for the project also waits. I think maybe I am anticipating (and forestalling) grieving the loss of my leg and my independence if I start in on those ornaments. I might start thinking about what Parkinson's is going to take from me in upcoming years. But I do know, even with all the grief that may come when I open that box, there will be joy too...and sweet memories and hilariously bad renderings...I can't wait. Thank you for this gift of writing you share each week. It feels like a light in the dark sometimes. As always I look forward to seeing where your wonderings & wanderings take us next...💕 from a fellow rambler...
Thank you, Michelle, for commenting! I am happy to know that you find something week to week in the words, and I am happy you jumped in today. I am really sorry about the loss of your leg and the ongoing medical challenges, and I’m really sorry, too, that these things have made putting up the tree impossible since it is something that had meaning for you. I love knowing that you pulled out the box - even though it was too much at the time. I hope you tackle them when it feels right, maybe as we move into fall. You’ve been doing robots, right? I know your ornaments would be wonderful. Maybe there is a way to string ornaments differently and still display them — not on a tree.
Good morning! I love your teddy art. Drawing them is a wonderful way to express yourself and your feelings. I would be tempted to say a special bear sketchbook for all the teddies together….How magnificent that could be! I would love to see pictures of them all! What stories they could tell.
You can still draw some of them in your illustrated journal.
I had a sawdust stuffed Airedale dog from childhood that I adored. He is long gone. I would have had him repaired. My Dad won me a large panda bear at the local fair when I was very little. That was pretty special, the winning was more than the bear.
I have a handmade jointed bear made by a dear friend who died of breast cancer. He is the size and weight of a newborn baby. My latest cat has decided to attack his sweater so I have put him away. I will hold on to him until I die. He means the most to me. I have drawn his numerous times.
I started rescuing 18 “ dolls from thrift stores and fixing them up for my granddaughters ( now 6 and 8) to play with when they visit. The dolls are so disheveled and naked (where do their clothes go!?). Some shampoo and conditioner and lots of brushing makes them better than new! They are not cuddly like a bear. I might end up drawing them in some of their outfits. I wish I could still sew.
I also rescue stuffed toys on occasion. I prefer the Folkmanis puppets. I love the big elephant and have added a turtle recently. I gave the grandsons each a new Snowy owl when they were little. I don’t think they loved them as much as I do.
Thank you for the link. I enjoyed reading it and seeing her photos. My grandson’s English grandmother knitted him an olive green teddy he called Eddy Teddy.
I think we have a Repair cafe here in Vancouver. There used to be a doll hospital near a place I worked. It was meant for precious old dolls not the new variety.
I love hearing about your special stuffed things, Gail, and how wonderful that you rescue and refurbish the dolls for your grandchildren. I don’t have a lot of experience with dolls, but I do think the clothes are pretty amazing! I am sure the kids love these gifts, soft or not. I had never even heard of a repair cafe type thing until I read that post. Such a cool community idea! (Thanks for the feedback about where to draw the bears.)
I love that photo of the bench Amy, great angles and lines, light and dark. I love to hear that this project sounds exciting for you! It sounds lovely, meaningful, and doable! I hope your exploration of the planning/starting part goes well. I had a special big bear as a kid. When each of my kids were born I got them a big bear, and did their monthly “baby” photos next to their respective bear as a sense of scale. Very cute photos but neither of them seemed to bond with their bear per se. But I still keep both those bears. 🧸
That’s a very cool way to track growth, Lauren. Even though they didn’t bond with the bears, I bet the photos are really special. I love it that you kept the bears, too. There is a lot of history tucked in.
I love your bear sketches. ❤️.
Marva - that’s too funny. It might not have felt like it at the time, but it makes a good story now, right?
I have trouble separating sentiment from stuff and have held onto items I'm sure many would have easily let go. Rather than drawings and illustrations, I reach for my camera and did so to document the things I left behind when we closed out my parents' condo. But that, to me, was different from the process you're facing. My life was no longer intertwined with theirs, so the stories and my attachments to them had faded a bit. Not to say that I didn't keep as much as I could!
Whatever route you take, Amy, or process you follow - or don't - is as it's meant to be, of that I am certain.
I think drawing or photographing is much the same in this respect…. And both create a record with a reduced footprint, one that can be digitally stored and easily moved. I think that was was a wonderful way to approach your parents’ things. Even if more removed from them at that point, the items still held history and story and may have been portals for your own memory. I love knowing you did that.
Yes, the history and stories were and are every bit as meaningful, but the wound was slightly less ragged. That process also happened two months after we bid our final goodbyes, so again, there was time to gain my footing again. We all have our own timelines to work within, and there is no right or wrong -- right? ;)
How strange it feels to be approaching the end of the third month. I'm not sure time has much meaning in this process.
I have a very special bear named Henri. In 1996 I was in a shop and he was near the register. He’s filled with little pellets and I was dancing him around the counter (the pellets gave his legs a fun feeling) as my mom paid for something (I was in my thirties). We were visiting relatives and I left first. A few weeks later I went to see her and she handed me a shopping back and there he was. Such a surprise! I brought him home and my boyfriend and I were smitten. He is a Boyd’s bear, very scruffy, and seemingly one of a kind, as I’ve never been able to find another one. His legend began. Henri is a doctor and soon joined forces with a little Quasimodo figure from a fast food restaurant. Quasi became a nurse.
One day we were watching a Law & Order rerun and my bf had Henri doing a very dramatic interpretive dance to the show’s theme song. He had different levels of exertion depending on which version of L&O it was. This always made me laugh. We called Henri, Quasi, and their expanding circle of friends, the Koopies. A few years later my bf and I broke up, yet remained friends. He eventually moved back to his homeland of South Africa. We stayed in touch, but talk of the Koopies faded away. He died last year at the young age of 53, and amongst the sadness for his wife and young children, I felt the loss of my connection with Henri and his world.
Marcy - what a wonderful story of discovering Henri and then sharing him (and Quasi) with your boyfriend. I am sorry to hear of his passing and the loss of that connection. You still have Henri? I am a big fan of Boyd’s bears. I have no doubt Henri is (or was) adorable. Thank you for telling me about him.
I do indeed still have Henri (and Quasi). Henri was very delicate and split down his back seam, probably from strenuous dancing! My mom sewed him back up. I’ll DM you a photo on Instagram. I love the idea of drawing some of your bears. They really hold so much emotion.
The archaeology of your lives together. I love that idea. It honours those years and that special person as you carefully uncover, record and make sense of what you find and figure out how it relates to future you.
For me, I think I would put the bears in a separate special book and maybe lace them with other special treasure such as the salt and pepper shakers. Add written memories if youre drawn too.
It's taken me years to declutter and downsize and I'm finally seeing progress and better yet healing. A little section at a time and when I've needed the extra support, a helper (usually one of my kids) to push me a little.
Thinking of you my friend. Enjoy the bears and beanies and exploring new art techniques.
Thank you for your words and for seeing me. I am often reminded that I know so little of where readers are coming from. I am glad you have had some help and nudges when you needed them along the way. I appreciate the feedback about the separate sketchbook. I hesitate to make it a “thing” (with standalone pressure) rather than just part of my week, but I hear you. I’m thinking about it. Have a good week ahead.
I just remembered Bernard, a small bear, about 4 inches tall, with jointed legs and arms attached by buttons. I sent him to my younger daughter when she was in college. Then I was surprised that I missed him. But when I asked her about him, she didn’t know what I was talking about. It’s always a surprise when others don’t value the things you do. I remember he made of brown plaid wool.
Oh, that is sad, Fran. I know what you mean though, but I fear that happens with so many things.... we value them and hope someone else will, but often that doesn't happen. I try to really not pass on or harbor any expectations.
It’s important to learn to let go. My mother, having had so little in her early life, was very careful of her possessions. She’d pass them on to me and I’d break them or squirrel them away. She made me a lovely fisherman’s knit vest but I didn’t like the wide sleeves and never wore it. I think that hurt her.
Amy, this is such a poignant, heart-string-plucking post - and I'm so grateful to you for sharing my own post within it. Thank you so much.
Bears have accompanied me through thick and thin, and they've played such an important role in my life - not just in childhood but beyond.
In fact, a little over twenty years ago when I was recovering from illness and not yet fit for work again I found myself dabbling in art, and I often reached for my plush companions as subjects because I knew them so well - the tiny polar bear which had hung out in my dressing gown pocket when I was in hospital, Bingo and Button who came everywhere with me for a while (I drew them looking out of the window on a steam-train journey we'd taken to celebrate a family occasion), and eventually a group portrait of ALL of our family bears which I had made into a jigsaw to give to my mum for Christmas.
I've loved reading and re-reading this post, and it's taken me a couple of days to come back and comment. I've got goosepimples just at the thought of saying goodbye to my own companions. Thank you for such a treat of a post. 🐻
Thank you for reading and commenting, Rebecca. I was so charmed to find your little red bear post -- and to see here that you have a longer history with the bears is wonderful. I love knowing that the bears proved to be such good subjects for drawing at various points. I can only imagine the group portrait was wonderful (and a special keepsake puzzle, for sure).
❤️🐻❤️ Thank you so much, Amy!
My special bear is a small polar bear that my Jim gave me for my birthday. I love polar bears and love to draw them. I also have swim paddles that look like polar bear paws, so that's what we call them. Asking yourself the question about drawing fast enough registered! I've asked myself that, too, when it feels like there's so much that wants to come out of my liner, or brush, or pen. What I'm drawing this week: more people than I usually do. I want to learn to draw them simply and quickly. It's a big challenge for me.
I like knowing people have a special something, like a special polar bear. I hope you are enjoying the week's drawings. (I just looked at the most recent days, and I love your sticky note drawings!) People and full bodies are certainly a challenge for me, too. I've been drawing from TV images this week.... small portraits are tough!
I’m glad you like the sticky note drawings😀. They’re fun to do, no pressure. For drawing people, I’ve started taking selfies (which I don’t like to do) and using those images to draw from. TV images is a great idea, too! Maybe I’ll try that. Yes, small (and big) portraits are tough, for me any way!
A once a week selfie is something I do in my journal, too. I use Sktchy as a source for the rest of my portraits. It’s a great resource for portrait work.
Thanks for the nod to Sktchy - it’s new to me, I’ll check it out!
(I’ve been using it for years. If you have trouble finding it, they did a name change a few years back. It’s Museum by Sktchy. But it’s a free resource and a great way to source portrait inspiration.)
I found it! Mind blown! I'm going to investigate layers deep as it may be just the thing for my hesitation with portraits. Thanks, Amy!
I have a bear that was given to me before I was born. I named him Creepy Crackers because he creeps at night to eat crackers, (and I am sure I believed that was true when I named him). My daughter made him his own little booties, a hat, and a vest out of felt and string when she was little.
My mother-in-law collected beanie babies…she gave me an Erin Bear which I was pretty excited about and still have…such a lovely shade of green.
Maybe I have already mentioned how I drew some of the kids’ stuffed animals and glued the drawings on pendant Christmas ornaments after they were destroyed by mice. I drew them and got rid of them, but I had to get rid of them. Objects can carry such powerful meaning. I love that you are drawing the bears.
I definitely have the shamrock bear! That's neat that you have that one. Creepy Crackers .... sounds scarier than he is, I'm sure. I bet the clothes were really sweet. If I had ever been one to play with such things, I think clothes would have been good! -- Your solution to preserving the memory of the stuffed animals that needed to be disposed of is wonderful.
This piece unexpectedly brought tears to my eyes because I remembered my childhood teddy bear, who is now lost.
Keep writing and drawing, Amy! 💛
Thanks so much, Evelyn, for commenting. Fond memories over a lost teddy are good now and then!