Sandy MacDonald - November 2023

TOY PORTRAITS - serious paintings on not so serious subjects.

My subjects - statuettes, action figures, pop culture ephemera - were created with preconceived ideas of their character and purpose. Most, if not all, were made to amuse their owners or to decorate space on a shelf. A lot of work was put into fabricating each item in order to capture a consumer audience.

I view these objects differently, more specifically: I wonder what they’d be like if they stepped out of character. How they would like to be portrayed? What are they like on their days off? Even though they are inanimate objects, I don't perceive my work as “still life;” the angles and perspectives have almost a human quality to them - their look or physical language.

Yes, these are the things I think about.

From what I can tell, the first things people notice about my paintings are the subjects. They are recognizable, and sometimes playful. Like characters in a story, they reflect people, relationships or experiences. It’s not important that my audience knows who, what and why because I want them to relate to the paintings on their own. I avoid titling the paintings too particularly for this reason. I have my own intentions behind every composition.

I really enjoy the physical action of creation. I spend more time mixing colors on the palette than applying them to the canvas. In the beginning, I choose my subject matter because their physical qualities excite me. I wish there was more explanation beside that; I really just enjoy the process of painting.

I make my living as a decorative artist.