16” x 20” acrylic on canvas . Canvas is 100% cotton duck with an acrylic titanium triple primer.

What’s the story behind this painting?

With every cartoon, sitcom, and news report I watched, I must have seen an exponential number of commercials on food, toys, and home gadgets. The content of the commercials varied so much. I remember the “Clap-On” light fixture, the furry creature in the “Honey Combs” cereal commercial, the floating graphics from the “Whatchamacallit” candy bar advertisement, plus the Monty Python-like imagery from the “Bubble Tape” bubble gum commercial. Of course, the toy commercials were my favorite. I took note of what I wanted, probably everything. And if I was lucky I got something from the mental wish list that I had drawn up in my head, like a Barbie. For me, one of the most memorable toy advertisements was the Rollerblade Barbie doll. Between Barbie’s blue eye shadow, the pleather-like white peasant top, her pink fanny pack, and her roller blades, I thought she was hot shit. I’ve never forgotten that jingle from the commercial, “I skate, you skate, we both got clothes that look great!” I was mesmerized as I watched Barbie glide down the street while her roller blades flickered light. Eventually I got my hands on the Rollerblade Barbie, only to find out that I had a dangerous toy on my hands. I would glide Barbie’s pink roller blades against the cheap tile floor only to find a trail of sparks coming from the neon yellow blades. I guess it was a fire hazard. I didn’t care, though, and no one expressed concern about it, so I kept it. I loved that doll so much. Things were different back then, what can I say?