The Art of Wibble

"Numbers" (a Lunchbox painting)

2012-01-22T23:20:00.005-05:00

So Lunchbox went for a stroll in the woods the other day and happened upon a nest of wild baby numbers! In this painting you can see him wracking his little brains, trying to remember the rules. You see, I was trying to teach him the dangers of the forest, and had recently read him the “Field Guide to Little-Known and Seldom-Seen Numbers” which has a whole section on what to do if you encounter a nest of wild baby numbers in their natural habitat. There’s a lot of info, but here’s the gist:

Cute as they may be, do NOT attempt to touch or otherwise engage these creatures
The mother is more than likely lurking nearby, and if she feels threatened, look out!
Avoid eye contact and back away slowly; make no sudden movements.
If the mother comes after you anyway, run like hell!

Remember, wild baby numbers do NOT make good pets. They may be cute now, but they grow into adults. As with most things, the bigger they get, the cuter they ain’t. And what would you feed them anyway??

Anyway, back to Lunchbox – fortunately all ended well and he got home safely (whew!). After all, when you have your lunch-pail and your diaper, what more do you need? Certainly not numbers!

Something new - WibbleyWare!

2011-12-03T21:20:00.003-05:00

For over a year now I've been working on & off on hand painted pendants & cameo necklaces, I finally got some listed on ETSY and have so many more to list. I absolutely LOVED making these, my natural inclination has always been to work small.

Anyway here's a group photo, so far I only have six or seven listed (along with a few prints) but I plan to get more up soon.

Click to go to Wibbley World on Etsy

Baby Pengy

2011-11-22T22:10:00.002-05:00

Baby Pengy

2.5" Oil on wood

I've lost count (well not really, actually I never bothered to even start counting) but this is another installment in my "Baby Wibbles" series, in which I feature baby portraits of the Wibbles in all their diapered glory.
So here's Baby Pengy - as you might suspect it's a little cold in the Antarctic wilderness so for his portrait he's sporting a matching scarf and hat, and of course his little diaper as well! (no lunch-pail though, just a lollipop)

Still Life with Wibble

2011-10-24T23:02:00.003-04:00

No, you're not hallucinating - I'm actually posting for the second time in two days! What's the matter with me?!

"Still Life with Wibble"
5x7, oil on panel
Anyway, this is a little still life I made for this month’s Nibblefest contest, our theme this month is “Still Life.” Francis is a little nerbbis, perched so high atop of that jar of glazing medium (scary, scary, scary - you can tell he just wanted me to get done with the painting and put him down already!) The Wibble featured here (Francis) is actually a real-life needle felted bear-like creature (ok I admit I don’t know what it really is) who I made a few months ago. I’m telling you this so you all don’t think I cheated and painted a made up character, stuck him on a jar and called it a still life. Here’s a photo so you can see that he's real (he's not included though, this auction is just for the painting):

(not included in auction, just showing you all that he exists)

And yes, that is Spock in the background. He was being kind of a jerk so I cropped out his head from the photo.

Still Life with Lunchbox

2011-10-22T23:23:00.003-04:00

Still Life with Lunchbox

It’s that time of year again and Lunchbox had a fantastic idea for his Halloween costume – dressing up as a piece of Polish Pottery! Sounds like a brilliant idea, right? Unfortunately he did such a great job with his costume that Heather Sims, notorious hoarder of all things Polish Pottery, SNAPPED HIM RIGHT UP and added him to her collection! Now Lunchbox is in yet another fine pickle, I have no idea how he’ll get out of this one. But you know what? He still has his lunch-pail (maybe Polish Pottery, but still a lunch-pail nonetheless) and his diaper, so all will be ok. And as you must know by now, when you have your lunch-pail and your diaper, what more do you really need?

I made this painting for EBSQ's "Ripped Off" show. I decided to "rip off" a painting by my friend Heather Sims ( known for her Polish Pottery still lives) called “Polish Pottery LBXI,” and her Polish Pottery series in general. Her wonderful paintings can be found here.

I'm currently offering a print of this painting on eBay for the October Nibblefest contest. If you're interested in bidding, please click on Lunchbox to go to the auction.

Ode to Bloo

2011-09-20T23:12:00.009-04:00

Ode to Bloo

(click Bloo to see the auction)

I was going to pull together a little poem for this painting since the theme is “Ode to Bloo”, but I changed my mind. Sorry.

Anyway, I feel compelled to offer some explanation, which is that this is just a little painting of Bloo going off to her first day of Kidneygarden. She was feeling a little nerbbis until I told her she could take her security octopus and (of course) her Lunchbox lunchbox. She’s a little shy so I hope that either Lunchbox or Soft and Fuzzy Johnson is in her class.

Draggy

2011-04-20T23:33:00.003-04:00

Draggy
2.5 x 3.5 oil on panel

Look out! Draggy's on a fire-breathing, house squashing rampage - run for your lives everyone!

Draggy is my Nibblefest entry for April, the theme is DRAGONS! Click on Draggy to go to the auction, if you're so inclined.

Squid Descending a Staircase

2011-03-20T23:04:00.003-04:00

Sparky decided he’d like to enter this month’s nibblefest contest - he’s still too young to have his own ebay account so I’m listing it on his behalf:

"Squid Descending a Staircase"
In this painting, the artist is expressing his feelings about the human condition, squids, and eyeballs on stairs, and how they collectively impact his personal worldview.* He calls it “Squid Descending a Staircase”.
In my not-so-professional opinion, I believe this is an important, groundbreaking piece of art - a true masterpiece. There’s a lot of meaning here, folks.
*Sometimes I have trouble with “artspeak” so I hope I captured it accurately. I did take notes.

Dreams and Nightmares

2011-02-20T23:52:00.006-05:00

Dreams

5 x 7

Oil on Wood

The theme for Nibblefest this month is “Dreams,” and both of my entries are about common dreams you regular folks have. This painting is of that old standby, the “Flying Dream.” You know where you sprout little fairy wings and fly all over the countryside, but in reality you’re all snuggly in bed with your little squirrel?

The Flying Dream’s kind of a bummer to wake up from, unless you’re flying over hot lava or the Pacific Ocean or some other such scary place.

Lunchbox's Bad Dream

5 x 7

Oil on Masonite

You know how you’ll have that bad dream where you’re in school or at work and you suddenly discover that you’re stark naked? Lunchbox has that dream too, only in his, he’s fully clothed!!

Oh, the horror, the horror!

On the other hand, Lunchbox does have his lunch-pail and (even though you and he can’t see it) his diaper, so what more does anyone really need? Plus it was all just a dream so we can all breathe easy and go back to believing that “nothing really bad ever happens in Wibbley World.”

The Circus comes to Wibbley World

2011-01-23T00:29:00.003-05:00

This month's Nibblefest theme is Circus.

I'm offering something new this time, a miniature painting on wood, which (on request) can be converted into a pendant. I've painted quite a lot of these already but this is the first I'm offering them for sale - I hope they do well because I really love making them!

Micro Jumbo
1" x 1.25"
Genesis heat-set Oils on Wood

My other Nibblefest entry is, predictably, Lunchbox:

Lunchbox, Lost in the Circus
4 x 6
Oil on Canvas

Whatever you do Lunchbox, DON'T LOOK DOWN!!!

This painting makes me nervous just looking at it, I have a terrible fear of heights (unlike certain chipmunks!)

Baby Blackers, friend of Baby Quackers

2011-01-17T22:37:00.002-05:00

Baby Blackers,

friend of Baby Quackers
2.5 x 3.5
oil on panel

This is the first painting I did in 2011, and it's the long-awaited prequel to my painting, Blackers, friend of Quackers. Remember?

Regular Blackers,
friend of Quackers

Which reminds me, I really need to resurrect Mr. Quackers, he hasn't been around in ages!

Anyway Baby Blackers, Friend of Baby Quackers isn't for sale yet, mainly because I still haven't quite made up my mind between selling on ebay or ETSY. If it wasn't for Nibblefest I'd probably never get anything listed!

I think Baby Blackers, friend of Baby Quackers is a good start for "The Year of Cute*" if I do say so myself.

*more than likely featuring lots of baby animals

Happy New Year

2011-01-01T22:33:00.003-05:00

Birthday Bear
2.5 x 3.5

oil on panel

I had actually painted this as a birthday present for myself back in September, but didn't completely finish it until last night. So as the last painting completed in 2010, Birthday Bear gets to be the first painting I'm posting in 2011, the Year of Cute :)

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-24T19:18:00.004-05:00

6x8

Oil on wood

Oinky

2010-12-20T22:29:00.004-05:00

Oinky

When someone says, "Things with Wings" to me, the first thing I think of is a pig on wheels. How about you?

This is Oinky, my final Nibblefest entry for 2010.

I've been working on some other projects that I had originally hoped to have done by Christmas. Even though they technically are done I decided not to rush anything and will be posting them in January.

More Holiday Art!

2010-12-05T23:42:00.002-05:00

I've meant to post more often but I've been working on a new project, and for me at least it seems that everything is more complicated and takes longer than expected. I hope to be able to have something new to post later in the week.

Here are some holiday themed pieces I just put up on ebay. The first is a print of a painting I made for Violet last year, and the other two are original colored pencil ACEO's.

Lunchbox, Lost in Antarctica

Pengy has lots of friends – his newest friend is Lunchbox who he met when Lunchbox got lost (again) and ended up in Antarctica! I know you must be thinking I’m a terrible mother to let poor Lunchbox to to Antarctica dressed like that, but really he said he was on his way to Florida (visiting GPWTSM)! I have no idea how that happened, other than it’s Lunchbox’s way.

Anyway he’s not even cold, because when you have your lunchpail and your diaper, what more do you really need?

* * * * *

Candy Cane Kitty

This is Pengy’s friend Kitty. Kitty’s also getting into the Christmas spirit, what with her candy cane and such.

* * * * *

So who is this "Pengy" you've been hearing so much about lately? Why let me introduce him!

Pengy

This is a portrait of my daughter’s penguin, Pengy in his Santa hat, getting into the holiday spirit! Don’t worry, he’s not as menacing as he looks - he’s actually quite jolly and good natured, kind of like Santa (except when he’s pecking at your legs, but he only does that when we forget to feed him).

I couldn't figure out how to do this on ebay but I'd also like to offer free first class shipping with a buy it now on either of the ACEO's to my readers here, as well as my mailing list and my FB page fans. I'm asking for immediate payment with BIN so if you buy one with BIN, just let me know that you saw this here & I'll issue a shipping refund. If you want priority that would be extra.

Furry Friends

2010-11-20T23:15:00.004-05:00

I just listed these two paintings plus the Not-So-Magnificent Eyebrow (post below) on Ebay for the November Nibblefest contest. If you want to go to the auctions, just click on the images:

Jimmy

~3"x5.5"
oil on wood

You know how sometimes you wake up and just have no idea what you are? That happens to Jimmy at least once or twice a day. He used to think he was a cute little bunny rabbit, but then his dad told him he’s really a baby bat, so now he doesn’t know what end is up anymore (literally).

Oh well . . . Bunnybat?

* * * * * * * * * *

"Happy Friends"

5"x5"
oil on panel

Want to see something really, really sad? Look at these three having fun. Greyness and Oochka and Pengy just skating away into the night. It’s so sad it makes me want to cry. After all, there’s nothing sadder than happiness.

The Not-So Magnificent Eyebrow

2010-11-14T20:30:00.001-05:00

(updated to add the link, just click on the eyebrow - I know all of you have just been beside yourselves waiting for this auction to start)

I recently networked my blog to facebook & twitter (there's a link over there to the right if you want to join the Wibbley World Facebook page) and I'm currently testing the updates out with a sneak peek at one of my entries for this month's Nibblefest (our theme for November is "Furry Friends.") Technically I'm not even sure this qualifies - the Not So Magnificent Eyebrow isn't exactly a friend, but it sure is furry so hopefully the furriness will make up for the not-so-much-a-friendness and it won't be disqualified.

Once the auction is running (it starts on the 20th) I'll update here with a link.

The Not-So Magnificent Eyebrow
2.5 x 3.5
Graphite on Tannish Stonehenge Paper
(sorry I forget the proper name for the color)

Have you ever seen eyebrows so large you could swear that they're about to march right off of the person's face and take on a life of their own? Well you're not imagining things, that really happens!

Soft and Fuzzy Johnson in the Lollipop Forest

2010-11-09T23:37:00.000-05:00

I thought I'd take advantage of Ebay's current free listing/BIN promotion & list a few bigger paintings. Hopefully I can list a few more tomorrow night too.

(click on Soft and Fuzzy Johnson to go to the auction)

Soft and Fuzzy Johnson

in
The Lollipop Forest

Meet Soft and Fuzzy Johnson
He's a friend of Bloo
And if you're really nice to him
He just might lick you too!

I generally don't recycle ideas I've used for other paintings, but when I created this painting for a show a few months ago, I felt a return visit to the Lollipop Forest was in order. After all, one can never have too much of the Lollipop Forest, can one?

Anyway, this is Soft and Fuzzy Johnson (not to be confused with Soft and Fuzzy O’Johnson, his alter-ego), who is fairly new to Wibbley World. I have a feeling we’re going to be seeing a bit more of Soft and Fuzzy Johnson in the months ahead. Bloo was actually hoping her friend Lunchbox would be here, but she got Soft and Fuzzy Johnson instead.

Oh well, sometimes life isn't fair.

Happy Birfday

2010-11-03T20:20:00.000-04:00

Happy Birfday!
4x4
Oil on Panel

I painted this little guy as a birthday gift for my boss who turned 50 on Monday. I don't usually give artwork as gifts but I really appreciate him and this job (plus I have no money to spare!) so I was happy to paint this. I just hope he likes it!

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T21:56:00.000-04:00

Halloweenie

I know this is an older painting but since I recently posted this year's Halloween paintings I thought I'd dig this one out since it's one of my favorites.

Anyway, today was pretty busy - first we had our Grandpuppy (or Granddogger as Chris says) Lola for the weekend - Violet and Linda were thrilled, but the cats and Jabby could all think of other things they'd rather have happen.

Lola

Today was also our 23rd anniversary and we celebrated as usual by going to the Chiller Theater convention. Violet wore her Cleopatra costume, she looked great & a lot of people wanted to take her picture! Here's a pic of her with her Gus Fink Puff Dog, Violet's a huge Gus Fink fan (like her mom!) and luckily he was there or she'd have been very disappointed.

I was very happy and excited that I got to meet LeVar Burton there! I told him that we watch him almost every night in TNG reruns :) Even Violet knew who he was, although she didn't recognize him at first without his visor (she watches with us sometimes).

Other than that it was the usual Halloweenery, trick or treating and such - we took Linda with us for a bit but she barked furiously at the decorations in which she could recognize a face, pretty cute! Violet did quite well for herself, a 5 lb haul (!)

Kidnapped!

2010-10-28T22:09:00.000-04:00

This is a portrait I did for my art group's portrait swap - I was a little late with it (ok 11 months, hanging my head in shame) but finally recently finished it. I know some of you have already seen it posted elsewhere.

Anyway, this is a painting of just about the worst thing that's ever happened in Wibbley World, that horrible day when Lunchbox and Bloo were kidnapped - a day that will live in infamy. Poor Lunchbox dropped his lunch-pail and I tell you, you could hear him wailing into the middle of next week! I was shocked to discover that it was my friend John Borrero who had put on a disguise and stolen them:

Kidnapped!
12x12
Oil on canvas

I'm filled with outrage just looking at this again - how could John just laugh and ignore the fact that he made Lunchbox drop his lunch-pail and cry!? Doesn't he know that when you have your diaper but not your lunch-pail, then everything's not OK? Apparently he had lured them with some candy and then tried wheeling them off in a wagon but they kept climbing out, so he had to carry them in his arms as he trotted away on his spindly little goat legs.

But you know what? Everything did turn out ok after what was quite a scare. Eventually I was able to track them down by following Lunchbox's shrieks of terror (Bloo was so petrified she couldn't make a peep) and John's hoof-prints. I was able to rescue them, bringing them back home where they could be happy again. Here's John's portrait of our reunion:

"John in Wibbley World" by John Borrero
18x24, Acrylic & mixed media
(click image to read John's side of the story
and to see more of his amazing artwork)

After re-reading John's story I guess maybe I overreacted, but that's how we Mommies are when our babies are in trouble!

So now you know, if there was any question:

Lunchbox + lunchpail + diaper = good
Lunchbox + diaper - lunchpail = bad
Lunchbox - lunchpail - diaper = you don't even want to know

Deery, too

2010-10-24T21:34:00.000-04:00

I've decided I'm going to try to post something at least every other day - usually a piece of artwork but sometimes not. I have a lot of sketches, drawings and paintings that I haven't done anything with, many are ideas for more developed paintings.

Anyway, here's a little pencil ACEO I drew a couple of months ago:

Deery, too

Not to be confused with

Regular Deery

I think they may be cousins.

I'll probably be putting many of these on ETSY in the next couple of months. I still have Regular Deery too but sometimes when I have a painting for too long I bond with it and it's even harder to sell. I see I painted Regular Deery back in 2005! Wow, I didn't realize it was that long!

Another Owl!

2010-10-22T22:46:00.000-04:00

Also for Nibblefest:

Petunia
2.5 x 3.5
Graphite on Stonehenge paper

Halloween paintings!

2010-10-20T22:17:00.000-04:00

I just finished (and listed) two Halloween paintings - one's for Nibblefest (our theme this month is OWLS).

First up, for both of you Star Trek / Halloween / Lunchbox fans out there:

LunchSpock
5 x 7 Oil and Chromacolour on Panel
(click to go to auction)

It’s that time of year again! We all know by now how much Lunchbox loves Halloween, but I bet you didn’t know he was such a huge Star Trek TOS fan. Actually neither did Lunchbox, he just came across this Spock costume at the Halloween Store – it was marked down because the Tricorder was missing. But you know what? Lunchbox doesn’t care – he has his lunch-pail and his diaper. When you have your lunch-pail and your diaper, who needs a silly tricorder anyway?

This painting is the third installment in my “WibbleTrek” series, and as well as the third installment of my Lunchbox Halloween series (I think).

* * *
Next is my Nibblefest entry:

Happy Owloween!
5x5 Oil and Chromacolour on panel
(click to go to auction)

“Trick or Tweet!” OK I know owls don’t say "tweet" but oh well.

So anyway, Shelly's taking her little brother Alex out trick or treating - she's kind of mad because she had other plans and her parents just dumped this on her at the last second. Poor Alex is really scared of all the ghosts and monsters too. ☹

Spam & Trout!

2010-10-07T20:23:00.000-04:00

"Second Thoughts"
5x5 Oil & Chromacolour on Panel

Well the "big day" is finally here and Spammy is having second thoughts. Maybe it's not such a good idea for a slice of Spam to marry a trout - after all, don't trout eat Spam? Not that his beautiful bride would ever harm him, but you never know for certain about such matters. Besides, I bet he's really delicious!

Maybe mother was right, he should have married a nice slice of bologna after all...

I created this painting for EBSQ's "Spam & Trout" show.

The Art of Wibble

"Numbers" (a Lunchbox painting)

Something new - WibbleyWare!

Baby Pengy

Still Life with Wibble

Still Life with Lunchbox

Ode to Bloo

Draggy

Squid Descending a Staircase

Dreams and Nightmares

The Circus comes to Wibbley World

Baby Blackers, friend of Baby Quackers

Happy New Year

Happy Holidays!

Oinky

More Holiday Art!

Furry Friends

The Not-So Magnificent Eyebrow

Soft and Fuzzy Johnson in the Lollipop Forest

Happy Birfday

Happy Halloween!

Kidnapped!

Deery, too

Another Owl!

Halloween paintings!

LunchSpock5 x 7 Oil and Chromacolour on Panel(click to go to auction)

* * *Next is my Nibblefest entry:

Happy Owloween!5x5 Oil and Chromacolour on panel(click to go to auction)

Spam & Trout!

LunchSpock
5 x 7 Oil and Chromacolour on Panel
(click to go to auction)

* * *
Next is my Nibblefest entry:

Happy Owloween!
5x5 Oil and Chromacolour on panel
(click to go to auction)