Toni Boozer
Toni Boozer, a.k.a. Blonde Blythe, was born in 1957 at Fort Rucker, Alabama, the daughter of a career officer. During her childhood, she sketched, doodled and colored as other children do, but didn't take art seriously until adulthood.
Toni graduated with a B.A. degree from Jacksonville State University in Alabama in 1978, majoring in sociology, with a minor in English. Shortly thereafter, she taught herself to paint portraits in oils, bringing in a little extra income from time to time.
After a few years, she put down her brushes, wrapped up in raising a family. In 2000, after surfing the self-representing artist offerings on eBay, Toni became inspired to paint again, but this time was different--she wanted to create from her imagination. So she painted folksy style cat paintings, many of which featured flying cats and deco buildings.
In late 2000, Toni decided to paint a portrait of her favorite Blythe doll. Produced by Kenner for one year only--1972, Blythe is a big-headed, saucer-eyed doll with a pull string in the back of her head which, when tugged, changes the direction and color of her eyes to match her wardrobe and moods. Toni's Blythe portrait sold on eBay, and she was hooked! Shortly thereafter, Toni's Blythe paintings caught the attention of Tiffany Lewis, who was writing an article on the increasingly popular Blythe doll for "Barbie Bazaar" magazine. When the July/August 2001 issue hit the stands, featuring the article, "Blythe American Gothic," two of Toni's Blythe portraits were featured, as well as a brief bio of the artist.
The huge success of Gina Garan's photography book, "This is Blythe," created a demand for an affordable Blythe doll, as a doll which originally sold for under five dollars skyrocketed in cost by up to $2,000.00! Capitalizing on this enigma, Takara of Japan is presently manufacturing reproduction Blythe dolls, in a multitude of hair colors and fashions. As an attestation of Blythe's popularity, Toni has sold many Blythe paintings and prints to Blythe aficionados, who proudly display them alongside their treasured Blythe collections.
Big eyes have always held an allure for Toni. Early on, she was attracted to the flirty-eyed comic style art of Betty Boop, as well as the sad-eyed waif art of the sixties and seventies, popularized by artists such as Keane, Eden, and Maio. An animal lover, Toni is especially enamored of Gig's pity kitty and pity puppy art, collecting vintage prints whenever she can.
In 2002, Toni tried her hand at liquid acrylics, and fell in love. Today, all of Toni's works are done in acrylics on canvas; layer upon layer of paint is laid down, until just the right effect and mood is achieved. Over the years, Toni's preferences have changed; she now delights in creating paintings with unusual, even off-the-wall, scenery, characters, and stories. Favorite themes include fairy, fairy tale, witch, mermaid, Gothic and Halloween. Fan art paintings featuring her unique wide-eyed Blythe style characters are a new favorite; so far, Toni has spoofed "Elvira" and "I dream of Jeannie," with plans for more characters in the works.
As of late, Toni has been honing her fantasy art skills, tapping into her imagination and developing her talent with one purpose in mind--to create amazing works that touch the viewer in some way. In accomplishing her mission, Toni feels that all her hard work will have paid off.
In the future, Toni plans to expand her horizons, experimenting with fresh ideas, characters, and settings. She has been working hard to perfect her skills, especially in the areas of perspective and anatomy.
This is the first time Toni's work has been chosen for The New Masters of Fantasy [Volume III], and she is extremely honored! Now, she must tap into her imagination even harder, in hopes that her upcoming creations will be accepted into New Masters of Fantasy endeavors of the future as well!
