BIRTH OF BLOBBY
How this beautifully bizarre character came to be
The year was 2019…
I had torn my right rotator cuff.
Of course it had to be my dominant arm, because why make things easy? As an artist, that was lovely. Even the smallest movement, like brushing my teeth, sent fire through my shoulder. Seeing my frustration at not being able to create, my husband gifted me an iPad with an Apple Pencil. This way, I could still paint, but with minimal movement.
Just like that- my digital work began.
At first, digital painting and I weren’t exactly friends.
It wasn’t tactile like I was used to. It felt foreign. I started simple. Fruits, a cool little shark dude holding a coffee cup. You know, the usual beginner stuff.
For years, I searched for a non-human subject to use in my work. I wanted to create work that spoke of the human experience. Of little moments that may otherwise be forgotten. The vast range of emotions. All without literally using people.
Could I have painted them? Sure. But that’s not what I needed.
I experimented with a few stand-ins. A little wooden artist’s mannequin being the main one. It was nice, but didn’t feel quite right. I wanted something surreal, yet personal. I’ve come to trust myself and my process, so I knew not to force it. Trusted that something would come to me when I needed it.
One day, a memory surfaced.
A flash of seven-year-old me. It wasn’t a happy memory, but I’ve sometimes wondered if it was meant to lead me here.
At seven, I found myself in an unfamiliar place. Away from my mom and brother. With strangers who assured me everything was fine.
I was given a drink.
Strawberry milk.
Perhaps meant for comfort, although I'll never truly know.
At first, it was tasty and refreshing. As time stretched on, I grew sick of it. Until even the sight of it made my stomach turn.
After what seemed like an eternity (almost a week in real time), two men in suits arrived. They told me they were sent by my mom. The three of us made the journey across the border, back to the US. Back to her. I later learned she had moved mountains to get me home.
The supposedly trusted individual had taken me there. Reassured me they’d be back in a few hours after some errands. Had taken me down there without her permission. Without her knowledge while she was at work. With no intent of returning for me; because I didn’t fit in the picture. While that whole situation was resolved, the memory lingered.
Then, almost like an airdrop from God, I saw a vague image in my mind.
I picked up my Apple Pencil. Started working on bringing that vision to life. As my hand flew across the iPad screen, slowly but surely, something was taking form. Until… on the screen: a small, pinkish blobby figure, with dark, round eyes. Sitting cross-legged in a vast, hazy void. A lone glass in its hand. A dark drink. A single drop fallen onto its left hand. Forever leaving a mark.
A once sweet drink, turned sour by experience.
I showed my husband the piece.
“That looks great!… What is it?” he said.
“I don’t know. It’s a… blobby little dude… Oh! Blobby Dude…
I like that.” I replied.
Hence, Blobby Dude was born.
For years, I longed for a subject.
A subject outside of a human form. Surreal yet personal.
Just like that, it found me.
Since then, Blobbies have filled my work and our home.
Been exhibited in galleries across the U.S.
Found forever homes with collectors nationwide.
Opened doors to collaborations with organizations and brands I never imagined.
Funny how something so simple, a blobby little figure, could hold so much.
It still amazes me that this beautifully bizarre Blobby from the depths of my imagination, soul, and life experiences, keeps opening doors that I didn’t even know existed.
Through creating Blobby, I realized that negative experiences don’t have to define us. They can be a source of growth and transformation. Blobby Dude, Blobby for short, is a reminder that even the hardest moments can fuel creativity and lead to something unexpected and beautiful.
I may not know what the future holds, but I can’t wait to see where my constantly evolving work takes me.
I feel blessed to be able to do what I love, through these God-given talents, alongside my family.
