A body of work inspired by the classic children’s book, The Velveteen Rabbit.

“It doesn’t happen all at once,’ said the Skin Horse. ‘You become. It takes a long time. […] Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.’”

This series began about half way through my pregnancy with our first child who was born this past March. It started as a simple still life study, just looking to practice my skills in seeing and applying what I saw to the canvas. I really liked how the first painting Raggedy Bear turned out. So I decided to do another, Brown Bear. Each of these are actually our sweet dachshund’s two favorite toys. She has played with them for years and with each passing day they grow a little more “Real.” 

For my baby shower, someone gifted me The Velveteen Rabbit. As I read this to our son, shortly after his arrival, I realized all the wisdom and metaphors this tale holds. Important lessons to bestow on our son throughout his childhood.

Please reach out with any inquiries or if you’re interested in collecting one of these pieces!