Thank you to everyone for your wonderful positive comments on my last post! I am afraid you have unleashed a monster.... :) And because you were so nice to me I won't even tell you about Teddy Roosevelt.
Of course, mood is sometimes all in the lighting - in this case the shadows - or lack there of .
Thanks for looking again :)
see ya, from Oz!
Ps: The next image is for my friend Karen Whitaker of Puddle of Crumbs who was looking for a hint of creepiness in the first few images - and couldn't find any. So I made one a bit creepier just for her. It's kind of self reflexive if you look at the picture on the wall. Karen and her husband have been very generous and kind to me. I'll tell you more about that soon. In the meantime, check out her art blog if you can and say hello!
PPS almost forgot to mention that the genesis of this image comes from two of Jessie Wilcox Smith's works - "The Land of Counterpane" and (edit) "Opening the Christmas Stocking" (images below:). Amazing artist she was....
What no creepy creatures, grotesque features, or nightmarish paraphernalia?
ReplyDeleteWhere is Andrew and what have you done with him?
Just kidding.
I love the new softer side of your personality Andrew. Another lovely illustration and even the teddy bears seem fluffy and soft. I do keep going back and looking for a hint of creepiness, but there is none to be found. I love your inspiration for this one also.
ja, Andrew, die Welt des Kindes,
ReplyDeleteder Teddy als Seelentröster für den Menschen von 1 bis 99 Jahre…….
Es gibt keinen besseren Freund, Der Teddy hat eine Seele, weich und warm, es bedeutet mehr als ein Spielzeug,
herzliche Grüße Jasmin
Thanks for the nice note about the pictures of Jessica Wilcox Smith,
a sad child in the middle of war toys without love and warmth ....
.
rhe little girl has a quite scary look, the staring teaddy bears too. Interesting by the way
ReplyDeleteYou are master of... you know what I mean. Your creatures are so ...so much...., you know, what I mean, the lighting is very ......, you know what I mean, I just wanted say, that ... you know what I mean....
ReplyDeleteThe master of exact dosage of creepiness spice......
ReplyDelete(the first version and the sepia one are very politic correct....certainly very appreciated by some parents...but the last one ..hmmmm, it is just as very well seasoned grilled ribeye.....
At first I thought aww how sweet. Love the pink cheeks. But then all those teddy bear eyes started to weird me out and the closeup of the girl's face with red in her eyes and mouth, I started remembering, this is Andrew. He wants to creep me out with teddy bears. The way they stare at you all the time without blinking... :)
ReplyDeleteI love Jessie Wilcox Smith's work. It's been a long time since I've looked at it and think I'll wander off and find more of it. I love her compositions and the limited use of color.
Well, I was going to say, "Hey where's the creep-factor?" for that first image, but then when I looked closer (on YOUR close-ups, actually), the uniform staring eyes of the teddies are a little creepy, and the red in the girls eyes are a little creepy, so what at first appears to be pretty darned sweet is a little sinister. What are all those teddies doing to her? What's she doing to them? And it's not all as sweet as it appears.
ReplyDeleteI must say that I like the last image the best though, with the dramatic shadows and threatening....tools?
HAHAHAHA! Wow you made my morning! I love it, she is the complete reflection of the first one. I love the dark hair and the sadistic smile on her sweet little face. By the way, have I said recently that I am seeing growth in your work? It is masterful Mr. Finnie and I feel so honored :) I hope the weather is better there and that you are surfing without being afraid you'll be towed under. So I guess I'm the only one who didn't find the first one creapy, lol. I think it has to be pretty in your face for me to recognize the fear factors. ;) I'm still laughing by the way. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteVery nice! Love that you included the inspiration illustration!
ReplyDeleteInteresting... I actually found the first image a little creepier than the second! I wonder what that means.
ReplyDeleteLovely image Andrew! True that bears are often a child obsession. I have a nephew who always bring all his bears with him when he sleep overs... it's not a bad thing as long as it stop before he is 14... hehehe. Your bears have strange hypnotic eyes. But knowing you, it was all very well plan... hehehe.
ReplyDeleteHi Andrew.... I have missed stopping by for a while, but work is good right now and I need time to complete things. Your work is amazing and I can see so much progress in the connection, color, tone, contrast, and overall mastery of the art form. This series is fantastic!
ReplyDeletePoor Teedy bears! So unlucky to be not where they had hoped, while waiting in the shop to be bought... This is not the right child for them. Or maybe this is a family obsession (I think the bears are the same...). The girl reminds me of Sid from the computer-animated film "Toy Story" (1995). Someone has to rescue the poor toys (I see a cat? on the blanket)!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, do you keep a Teddy bear from your childhood, Andrew?:)
Nice! Amazing!
ReplyDeleteAndrew,
ReplyDeleteI can only say that this illustration is really good! just perfect! Everything is wonderful!
is among the favorite!
I liked to see references,
a hug,
saudações
Hey Andrew! Ok where is the rat? Is he in the weaved baby buggy? ( Which is absolutely fabulous by the way. I love the ornamental accessories!) Or is he hiding in one of those puffed up pouches under the blanket? Great take on the topic by the way. I have to admit, I used to have a Teddy obsession.
ReplyDeleteI would surround myself with all my Teddies and slept with my favorite one ( Mr. Banks) under my arm all night long. The storms would come, but I wasn’t afraid with my army of Teddies. But my Teddy obsession ended abruptly. Last week, my wife said...”It’s either me or Mr. Banks!” We had a great run. :o) Fantastic pice Andrew! The colors are so perfect! The creepy one is pretty terrific as well.
Ugh, your stuff is WAY too cool! I'm scared to ask how you make these because they look like they take a very long time!
ReplyDeleteFantastic as always:)
ReplyDeleteVery nice! Love the variations too.
ReplyDeleteHaha! Teddy bears instead of demons coming out of a fiery pit...isn't that just curious? Or maybe plain suspicious? Sorry, still can't fit you in a lot of pastels and soft cuddly toys... :D
ReplyDeleteBUT... the images look marvelous, of course! I would beg my mom to buy me a book with this in it, so I'd say it's definitely spot on.
Bravo, my friend. :)
love the way i can be having the worst day of my life and seeing Ted completely changes my mood.
ReplyDeletesomekind of obsession.
oh but i will tell you about Teddy Roosevelt.
ReplyDeletehttp://shroedinger-cat.blogspot.com/2011/08/teddy-roosevelts-diary-entry-from-day.html
I have to admit, that I found myself looking for the dark side at first, too, but realized these are another set of lovely images! I really like the kind of sepia-toned one in the round format...it has an etching/graphite look to it that's very appealing.
ReplyDeletewow, great work. These actually reminds me of my childhood, there was a time when I decided to sleep with all my toys, not only teddy bears but my dolls, all plastic toys, it was pretty uncomfortable so it didn't last long haha.
ReplyDeleteLove the smile in the girl's face :)
Crazy good, dear Andrew! I'm cracking up at your last comment at my blog..you are so funny! Fantastic illustrations - and I love that you did a "creepy" version for our friend Karen! Oh, you are so fabulously gifted..loving the detailwork, the shadows, and I am so behind at commenting on Perennial. From the reflection to the softness of the goslings..what a beautiful illustration! Hope all is well in your world! I am a going underground for awhile..busy with work-work and have to put the head to the grindstone..oh my, is that even a correct overused statement? I can only imagine what imagery comes to your mind. : ) Take good care and I will pop by now and again..thanks for stopping by Andrew..it really makes my day!
ReplyDeleteand no light without obscurity.
ReplyDeleteWow Andrew this is my first time on your blog and wow your work is amazing!! I especially loved the more creepy one you did with the dark hair!! I cannot even begin to understand where you start or how you do what you do but its a great blog to have a look around! I will be back :)
ReplyDeleteAbsorbing image. Glowing centre gives pause, staring bear-eyes dotted around the image even more so. A lifelong fan of Jessie Wilcox-Smith, she made visible the inner world of a kid's mind - which you take right to the edge and leave teetering... Always glad to hear what you ahve to say, and this week, I guess, I'll be looking more at Odile Redon. Have a great weekend.
ReplyDeleteOK, thanks, no need to apologize, you said it and you know, I do not need analysis of my pictures, (sorry I am a difficult guy) and I do not like flattery (you've seen that sometimes I have not allowed the comments on my post) (I'm a very difficult guy!!!!)
ReplyDeletebut I am also very sensitive, and I appreciate when a person is twice my blog, write something about what I do, probably, the Google translator , do not tell me the truth
Oh, no, behind my house there is a school for young ladies and they scream as if they were killing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
............ But now they were silent.
ok, take your time to rest.
see you on Monday
I really love this! My favorite is the first one, though the one with the 'creepy' lighting is nice too.. I've missed seeing your work while I was away from blog land!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment:)For answering your question,unfortunately we can't do our work for a living:(
ReplyDeleteYou, Mr. Finnie, are the master! I dunno, love the creepy factor! Not sure there's more to add, I think the 31 comments before have pretty much covered all fronts.
ReplyDeleteAnd I think you may have left the nicest comment ever on my blog! Thank you, many thank yous!
Ok, then, keep up the creepiness, because looking at your work is like eating Tweenkies, and I love Tweenkies. Sadly, haven't had one in years, not so good for my girlish figure, but can't you just taste the spongy cake and the sugary filling...
Oh, my eyes are failing!
ReplyDeleteOr something became darker here?
(looks better now, in my opinion)
Mr. Finnie;
ReplyDeletePlease forgive my being so long in visiting. But have I been rewarded, or WHAT?! I love every treatment of this. Yes, indeed. Shadows and mysteries make me happy. Like, trying to see the picture on the wall...
Thank you for sharing
ReplyDeletethis wonderful work
heheh take care :D
ReplyDeleteIt's not just the worrisome expressions of the eyes, but your value orchestration and lighting sew it all together nicely...
ReplyDeletenicely pondered.
.
tomorrow is Saturday, right?
ReplyDeleteI do apologize for being your tongue swallowed... :D
ReplyDeleteHaving fun, Mr. Finnie?
I'm finally getting back to visiting..and hope all is well in your world, Andrew! I just went to our blog to write about your fabulous work..I'm still amazed at your talents (beyond, beyond I say!).
ReplyDeleteTu trabajo es fantástico, las imágenes son muy sugestivas y lleno de detalles.
ReplyDelete