Poofies are poofy little monsters that generate good vibes and bring cuteness to all place they reside in.
How Poofies started
Every year around Christmas I hand paint cards for family and friends. I do this to create for fun, rather than for money. Plus, it's a great way to try new things.
A year and a half ago, I got the idea for a Poofy while driving. The image of a fuzzy little creature just popped into my head. I thought about how much fun it would be to paint, so I set off to try it.
The first Poofy
I really like this guy. He's super scraggly.
Where did the name come from?
While uploaded my first Poofies to Instagram, I added the description "poofy", since that's what it looked like - a poof ball. Over time, the name stuck.
What are they painted with?
The work of Scott Cambell inspired me to use watercolor. I didn't have a ton of experience with it, so each one was an experiment. I would alter something each time: colors, brush sizes, shapes and different fur treatments.
Early Poofies
After these initial experiments, I began to try more dramatic variations: fatter brushes, monochromatic, looser strokes or controlled strokes. The results were pretty diverse.
Poofy evolution
One day, an old acquaintance asked if he could buy one. Thrilled, I said yes, and immediately Googled "how to sell artwork." This was the first Poofy I ever sold. He's still one of my favorites.
Poofy Wan
What's with the legs?
People seem surprisingly interested in the Poofy leg count. Many people will troll my instagram counting Poofy legs and then ask me why they're all different. I say it's based on however many are necessary to make the poofy look balanced. But, I've noticed my engineer minded friends seem convinced there is a deeper logic at play.
Where did the stories come from?
As interest grew, I set up an Etsy store to sell my Poofy paintings. When you add each item to the store, you have to give them a unique name. Rather than naming them Poofy 1, Poofy 2 etc, I started coming up with original names for each Poofy. I even created an extensive name list. A short time later in a caffeine induced craze, I started inventing stories for them. They came quick at first, but then they became more difficult to invent. I enlisted the help of my husband, who is secretly an ace writer. He came up with a plethora of superb bios which can be seen on the Poofy Biographies page or on Instagram. Below are some favorites.
Poofy Frawna
Poofy Frawna likes to illegally pick flowers from highway medians. She is often blown around the road like a tumbleweed. You may find her stuck in your windshield wipers gnawing at the rubber while showing you her pretty flowers.
Poofy Snarfiss
Poofy Snarfiss loves drinking Natty Light and laxing out with senior citizens. Which is good because he lives in Florida. Snarfiss gets mistaken for a golden retriever sometimes due to his lush golden fur.
Poofy Norki Tobasco
Poofy Norki Tobasco boasts a rare dragon plume that protects her from the elements. A distant cousin of the armadillo, Norki can tuck in her legs and hide from predators as a sphere. She uses this trick to pose as a bocce ball, often confusing players by scampering away mid-game.
How many Poofies are there?
I've made over 230 poofies at the time of this post. Most of them are on Instagram. I've put a few up on Society 6, so you can order mugs, shirts, pillows, or whatever other item you're in the market for. I've been painting other creatures lately, but plan to keep on making more poofies over time. If you have any favorites you'd like to see added to the Society6 store, drop me a line and I'll get it up there. I plan to re-open my Etsy store in 2018 and do a gallery show at some point in the future. Meanwhile, enjoy the digital collection!
