Author: cbordenca75

Pink Pony Club – 18”x24” acrylic on canvas. It took two months and around 100 hours to complete this one. 

Most of what I paint are toys that I have a personal connection to whether they are toys I’ve owned or toys I wish I had when I was a kid. But every time I have a show, or I’m out with my work, there are always people who ask when I’ll paint some of the toys they played with, aka “girls’ toys”. The main reason is because those aren’t the toys that I grew up with. I didn’t have a sister, whose toys I could steal and incorporate into my own stories. But I do realize how special and important they are to all of the people who did grow up with those toys. Including my wife, who has asked me to do some of these toys. 

This painting is the result of that. It’s not just one for the ladies, but for everyone who has a connection to these toys, even if it was just seeing the commercials on Saturday morning. 

I’ve wanted to do something like this for quite a while, but I did not have the toys on hand to be able to do anything like it. Until @artist.bee.dubs gave me a bag filled with these toys that she found marked free on the curb. As soon as she gave them to me, the first thing I did was start shuffling them around in the bag and putting my phone in there, trying to take pictures of them in the bag. When she said I could take the whole thing home I went straight to the studio and took hundreds of photos trying to find a configuration that I like. 

Here it is. Here there are Care Bears, My Little Pony, some Smurfs, a Hello Kitty and a bunch of cute little animals. While the toys aren’t straight from the 80s, they were definitely born in the 80s. 

Also, the title Pink Pony Club happened because obviously there was no other choice given how awesome that song is, and what’s in the painting.

Thanks for looking, hope you like it! Prints Coming Soon!

Take Me To Your Leader – 36”x12” acrylic on canvas

While I was struggling to come up with my next painting idea, I moved a bunch of toys that were on my desk out of the way. In the process of racking my brain I began playing with some of them. Absent mindedly moving the finger monsters into a silly arrangement that looked like they were fleeing from the spaceship that landed in front of them. 

At some point having given up on trying to force myself to think of a painting, I turned in my chair and saw what I’d done. That arrangement was it. It was pure play right there on my desk. Behind it were other toys that I’d already placed in ways that felt right. It was all so organic. 

In a way, it’s a bit of a self portrait. These objects arranged organically around my workspace represent a piece of who I am, how I think, create, and live. Toys from my past, a photo booth strip with friends, a Garbage Pail Kid, robots, monsters, the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy game, things I’ve bought specifically to paint, gifts from friends, all make an appearance here.

Contact me about purchasing the original or prints.

The Escape – 16”x12” acrylic on gessoed panel. This was a real challenge. Ultimately I’m pretty happy with the result, but struggled with what to allow and what to retouch. I love the idea of a big jar filled with little toys. It was difficult to choose a side to focus on. but when I realized I wanted the Hulk to look like he lifted the cover off to escape I could see which side worked best with that. I will likely attempt something similar in the future. 

The yellow blur at the top is Bumblebee. The Pac-Man windup is so yellow, i couldn’t feature Bumblebee too much. Thanks to @vehicle_for_butter and @tracey.starin for providing a few toys.

Prints are available here.

The Outer Limits is a comics & collectibles store in Waltham, MA, where I grew up. It’s been there for as long as I can remember, owned and operated by a great guy, named Steve Higgins.

It’s a magical place that shaped the lives of many of my friends, and myself. It’s where we discovered amazing art and stories, met friends, became obsessed with comics, characters, artists, and writers. I try to stop in whenever I’m in town. Over the years I’ve brought friends, my kids, and my wife to visit the sacred place that is Outer Limits. 

On my most recent visit I stopped in looking for some inspiration. I ran into an old artist friend from high school, and was introduced to another artist by Steve. We all chatted for a while and at one point Steve suggested I paint some toys from the 60’s. 

This tin rocket ship was sitting in a glass case at the front of the store. Even though I knew it wasn’t exactly what he meant, I thought, “Well that looks like it’s from the 60’s.” I then remembered the Metal Men astronauts and the gold Kidco Silver Warrior I had in my studio. 

From there I grabbed my Battle Mountain from Timmee Toys and some tentacles that are meant to go on fingers. What I wanted to make was a scene out of an old B Movie, or even something that might have appeared on an episode of The Outer Limits.

The Outer Limits received Honorable Mention for Acrylics at the 2024 Northeast Fine Arts Exhibition in Ware, MA.

Prints are available here.

I’m very excited to announce a solo exhibition at Marquee Gallery in Fitchburg, MA from Nov. 7 2024 – Jan. 4 2025. Please join me and celebrate this show at the Opening on November 16 from 2 – 4 pm.

“Waxing Nostalgic” 20”x20” acrylic on canvas.

In June of 1985 I turned 10. That’s also the same time Garbage Pail Kids were released.
The iconic pink wax package of the first series will forever elicit from me a feeling of sheer joy. Hunting down and collecting the complete set of Garbage Pail Kids became a nearly full time job that summer.

I’ll never forget going with my father to his friend’s house later that year. While I was playing with his friend’s daughter I looked up from the game we were playing and saw something I couldn’t believe. There was a Garbage Pail Kids sticker stuck on the side a dresser that I’d never seen before. I was flabbergasted. I had them ALL. I’d studied the checklist and practically had it memorized. Who the hell was this snot covered anomaly Messy Tessie? The girl I was playing with did not understand my urgent questioning. I needed to know where it came from.

That’s the moment I learned that there was a second series. My work was no longer complete! The thrill of going to the corner store where I was told they could be found was beyond compare. I was worried that I’d never get them all because this store wasn’t near my house. There was no way my parents were going to drive out of the way to so I could drop a few quarters on some new GPk on a regular basis.

Luckily they were soon available near my grandparents’ house where I got my usual fix of MAD Magazines, candy, and comic books when we’d visit on weekends. I collected them up until about the 9th series, but the first five series that used Adam Bomb on different colored backgrounds heralded the excitement of discovering new, disgusting, characters that annoyed adults and teachers enough to make the news. Much like the Cabbage Patch kids made the news for being so popular, albeit acceptable.

I never stopped loving the originals, and looking at the original packages will always make me happy.

Prints are available here in two sizes. 12”x12” and for a limited time 17”x17”. All prints are archivable an printed on 100% cotton, acid free, hot press paper

the original is 20”x20” acrylic on galley wrapped canvas with the color continuing along the sides of the canvas. It is available here for $650.

This month I’m happy to be participating in two different shows at two different galleries.

A selection of original paintings, along with a variety of framed and unframed paintings will be on display at The Mill District Local Art Gallery in Amherst, MA until the end of March. There will be an opening for all of the artists showing at the gallery on Friday, January 26, from 5-7 pm. It’s going to be a good time! The variety and styles of work are all super cool.

“On TV” – 12″x6″ acrylic on cradled wood panel.

A wind up Tomy Rascal stands atop an old TV set featuring Max Headroom. The summer new Coke came out there was a promotion at a little convenience store near the beach that was hosting a promotion by Coca-Cola. My prized possession that summer was a Max Headroom t-shirt they were giving away. I think I need to find one online and buy it. One of these days we’ll see Max Headroom return as a fully computer generated AI and we will have reached the future.

In 1987 a mysterious person in a Max Headroom mask highjacked the airwaves of Chicago tv for two short, insane, pirate broadcasts. I wish I was there when it happened. Thankfully you can find the footage online. I used that person in a mask as the original image on the tv screen, but decided it was too obscure and would just appear to be a messed up version of Max Headroom, so I repainted it right at the end. I’m glad I did, since it’s cleaner and the colors are more fitting.

Max Headroom was so cool, I wish he’d been around longer.

Click here to watch the time lapse process video

Small Blue Toys

Small Blue Toys – 8”x8” -When I heard about an art show coming up called, Blue, I thought I’d make a new painting to submit. Turns out the deadline was that day, so I was a little delusional when I attempted to complete this in one day. I submitted an existing painting that was accepted, and had more time to finish this one.

I grabbed a bunch of little blue toys, spread them out and got to it. We’ve got a modern version of the rascal robots, a pvc Care Bear, Finn from Adventure Time, and awesome Matchbox car from when I was a kid, some Smurfs, a Fry Guy, Cookie Monster from the Little People set, Tuxedo Sam, a wind up eyeball, a spaceship, an astronaut, an army guy, and an alien.

Prints are available here

BLUE – Group Show at ArtWorks Gallery Ware, MA from January 20 – February 25 2024

My painting “Life Savings” is on display along with work from about 20 other artists of varying disciplines.

Happy 2024!

Pandora’s BoxPandora’s Box – 12”x16” acrylic on canvas. I was alway fascinated by the idea that all of the world’s troubles were locked away safely until the box was opened and they escaped into the world. I’d imagine what it would be like if it had remained closed. I’d also imagine what it would be like if there were others, and what would happen if they were opened. Two PVC versions of Stripe from Gremlins, the robot from Lost in Space, a werewolf Smurf, Optikk from the New Adventures of He-Man and a demon from Blackstar make up the cast, along with some eyes, fangs, a monster, a skeleton, and some gumball machine display cards featuring various novelties and gags. A small batch of prints are available below.They are 12”x16” printed on 100% cotton, acid free, archival, hot press paper. If you are interested in the original, please email me.

Order Print

Click here to watch the Time Lapse Painting process video for Pandora’s Box

My art in a magazine!

Two of my favorite paintings are in a magazine! Toy Chest comes as a free pull out poster, and defending the Castle are right on the first page. Stardaze80 is a magazine created by @stardaze80 on Instagram. It is full of 80’s pop culture, from toys and video games to old tv listings, lunch boxes and advertisements. Learn more about it and order one here

Opening Saturday Sept 23 from 1-4 PM at Workshop 13 in Ware, MA. I’m honored to have three paintings accepted into this year’s show. Every year the work is incredible and worth seeing in person.

The three paintings are Me, Grimlock , Pick a Prize, and Two Kings. I hope to see you there!

In 1983 toy company, LJN, released a line of action figures inspired by Dungeons & Dragons. The toys weren’t directly from any particular version of the role playing game. They were more like archetypes of characters you could find in the game.

There was the heroic paladin Strongheart, a Dwarf named Elkhorn, a good and an evil wizard, an elf warrior, and a half-orc. They were all very cool 3.5” articulated figures with good detail. But of them all there was one that stood out as possibly the coolest action figure ever released, possibly even cooler than Kenner’s Boba Fett.

His name was Warduke.

Warduke looked to be straight out of a Frank Frazetta illustration, like his famous Death Dealer. With a dark blue helmet that had dragon like wings sprouting from the sides, a single arm and leg covered in some kind of matching blue chain mail, and iron gauntlet on one hand, and both a skull on his girded loins and a bigger skull making up the entire front of his shield, as a kid we knew Warduke wasn’t fucking around!

I loved this figure, and still do. I was lucky enough to have owned him and the now rare Fortress of Fangs. The fortress was a large two level playset that appears to be a snake’s head. The first floor is made up of a lake of lava surrounding a treasure chest. There are stalagmites and stalactites that add to the fangs part of the name.

A set of stairs leads up to the second floor where there are trap doors, a falling axe, a wall of spikes to crush intruders and a large winged demon guarding it all. I posed Warduke in front of one of the eyes for this painting.

Below is the time lapse video from painting g Warduke.