My painting "Betty" holds a special place in my collection as one of my very first pieces I deemed a “keeper"! Painted in acrylic, my goal was to create something both cute and cuddly, yet wonderfully colourful and vibrant. This piece, part of my "nostalgia collection," is a playful reminder of the innocent joys of childhood.
I set up a still life with the plush toy, Betty, a charming lamb, and painted the scene directly from life. To accurately capture her proportions and placement on the canvas, I first used "artist's envelope" lines—a method of drawing overlapping, angled lines that define main boundaries and internal relationships. This encourages seeing the overall shape more fluidly than a traditional grid.
In this piece, Betty is the sole focus and takes up most of the scene, seated flat on a red tabletop with her legs splayed flat in front of her. She has large ears, and prominent snout and feet, and is endearingly dressed in blue shorts with a soft green bow around her neck. The light is diffused, falling gently across her form with no harsh shadows, emphasizing her softness. The colours of the lamb reflect her true hues, using light blues and darker mauves to capture her cuddly texture, with prominent brushstrokes visible in the fur, creating her wonderfully fluffy appearance.
However, to inject a sense of playfulness and excitement into the composition, I chose the background colours from my imagination, opting for bright reds and yellows. This bold contrast was a deliberate choice to amplify the painting's vibrancy and create a dynamic backdrop that truly brings the still life to life. Painted alla prima, with wet paint applied into wet paint, "Betty" aims to capture the spontaneity and freshness of that creative moment. I hope this painting is a delightful and colourful reminder of joyful childhood moments from your own past.