Brad Overton

Cactus Queen

2022

"I have always loved the patina of old toys, wagons, cars. I love the look of time and timelessness. A thing never becomes really beautiful until it is washed by use and attention. It is its usefulness and attractive design that encourages interest and preservation. People will hold on to things that are good at bringing them joy. These paintings are made first, by looking very closely at each subject, (mid twentieth century lead toys), and responding to its expressive form, its vitality and graceful design, then, painting accurate yet spontaneous layers of color and value until completion. The very small toys, (often only two inches high), on which I based these relatively large paintings, were designed to inspire and bring joy to the child who owned them. And yet, beyond mere sentimentality, I want to inspire viewers by simply looking closely at the many beautiful aspects of these toys and paint them, larger than life, to relate my joy in life, in art."