From Vinyl Toy Dreams to Wooden Dolls Design!
Gloomy Bear Art Show Invitation!!
When I first started out, I participated in many gallery shows themed around pop culture, particularly collaborative events featuring popular films and animations like Star Wars, Disney movies, Avatar, and Marvel. I loved these pop art group shows - they were a fantastic way to showcase my work and meet exceptionally talented individuals. These experiences enabled me to quit my day job and pursue my dream as an indie artist, ultimately leading me to the world of children’s book publishing.
As I decided to focus on my career in books, I began to cut back on my gallery work. Part of this decision stemmed from my desire to build my brand and find my unique voice. While pop culture-themed shows are a blast, I often felt like I was creating content for someone else's brand instead of my own. Additionally, the typical 50/50 profit split in the gallery scene didn't align with my goals.
I do miss the connection with the art community, but I enjoy meeting and making friends with other artists. Even though I don't participate in as many shows as I used to, I still relish events supporting local independent businesses and highlighting indie themes and franchises I'm passionate about.
I was super excited when I received the invitation to the Gloomy Bear show from QPop. QPop is an indie gallery located in Little Tokyo in Downtown LA. I used to participate in many anime and manga-themed shows with them. The owners are fun and talented artists who appreciate alternative pop culture themes and are incredibly supportive of the local art community. I lost touch with them for a while due to the pandemic, so I was thrilled to reconnect a few months ago. This may also be one of the first group shows they've hosted since the pandemic.
I've always thought Gloomy Bear was cute in an "evil" way, or more like I've been intrigued by how it blew up in popularity. It came out back when I was in college, and I first noticed the Gloomy Bear merch at Giant Robot. It was just another cute, gothic Japanese character back then, but it took off over the years. That was around the time designer vinyl toys were becoming big, and manga and anime were starting to get more attention in American pop culture.
I admired the indie artists creating these cool manga and anime-inspired pop art. I would spend hours visiting Giant Robot every week to check out all the new and exciting stuff imported from Japan and dream about how amazing it would be to create one of those vinyl toys, even if it was just for fun.
Fast forward many years. I tried to make a couple of designer vinyl toys but discovered that it wasn't my thing. LOL! But sometimes, you don't know what you like or dislike in art until you try it! I discovered that I enjoy making wooden toys, whereas working with vinyl wasn't for me. I didn't enjoy painting on plastic, so I started creating wooden dolls for art shows. I never ventured into the indie toy business because I soon realized I was not good at handling the manufacturing and business aspects of making designer toys. I should stick with occasionally making handmade wooden toys for art shows.
Making these Gloomy Bear wooden dolls takes me back to my college days. I’d hang out at Giant Robot, flipping through the latest imports of comics and art books, just drooling over the cute and edgy designer toys on display. 🤩
🎀 Come celebrate Gloomy Bear’s 25th anniversary with me at Q Pop Shop in Little Tokyo! 🎀
My handmade wooden dolls will be part of this special exhibition alongside other artists paying tribute to everyone’s favorite ‘cute-but-evil’ bear. The show runs July 4–20, 2025 - perfect timing for summer art adventures in Downtown LA.
📍 Q POP Shop & Gallery
319 E. 2nd St #121, Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 266-8799
Whether you’re a longtime Gloomy fan or just love indie pop art, I’d be thrilled to see you there! Let’s geek out over vinyl toys, nostalgia, and the joy of weird little creations together."
If you're wondering what paints and brushes I used for these dolls, I went with Nicker's Poste color and the Golden Maple Watercolor brush set. You can check out my favorite art supplies over at my Amazon Art Store.
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Use code Alina at checkout - no rush, no limits. 🖌️ Shop here:
Super cool!