Wonderful Wacky Women™
About the Artist - Suzy Toronto
Everyone likes to doodle, and I'm no exception. But my doodles emerge in the form of whimsical, enchanted little creatures I call my “Wonderful Wacky Women”. They are patterned after dear friends, as well as my thoughts, impressions, and emotions. I’ve been doodling them for years! Friends and family often snatch my scraps of paper with the drawings on them to save and cherish.
After
much prodding and encouragement, I decided to depart from my trademark floral
and landscape watercolors to bring to life a series of whimsical, wonderful
wacky women -- each one celebrating the essence of her life.
Each Wonderful Wacky Woman carries a title, beginning with the words “She Who.” For instance, there is “She who Writes Her Own Story”, “She Who gives of Herself”, “She Who is A Survivor”, “She Who Brings me Joy”, and so on. There are currently about 54 characters in the series with more emerging everyday.
The “She Who” concept began over a decade ago when my youngest child, Chase, who is adopted, asked me, “Mommy, Who is she that grew me in her tummy?” I wanted to answer him, but I didn’t know. I replied, “I’ll draw you a picture of her.” I drew “She Who is With Child” and patterned it after myself that day, right down to my untamed hair and bare feet. I left her faceless to allow him to imagine. It satisfied him and he went on with his child’s play. Today at the age of 21, he is one of my biggest fans.
My signature
barefoot friends, a result of growing up in Hawaii, embody all that is good, fun
and right in the world. Free spirited, barefoot and just a tad wacky, I like to
think there is a little bit of me in each woman! One day, if I ever have the
good fortune to meet you, look down---most likely I'll still be barefoot!
I feel fortunate that my creations capture a whimsy and magic that have made my
work valued additions in galleries as well as many public and private
collections across the country.