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Jonathan Queen

@jonathanqueen

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28.3K

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Painter, toymaker and collector.
For commissions, email me through my website.
See my art toys @graveyardshifttoys

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After driving my mom to Nashville to visit family we took detour on the way home to see the Wayne White exhibition at the Knoxville Museum of Art.
What a rewarding visit. Before I knew who Wayne White was by name, the 11 year old me discovered his artwork and puppetry skills through Pee-Wee’s Playhouse in the mid 80’s. Fast forward to his documentary “Beauty is Embarrassing” and I felt a kindred spirit, being an artsy southern kid growing up in a sports centric environment.
The best way to view artwork is in person with your own eyeballs. This was such a wonderful experience to see his work in person for the first time, to witness the museum guard work the puppets, to see the hand painted areas over thrift store reproductions, to see brushy paint strokes become sky and land as you back up, and to see reclaimed objects transform into new sculptures.
My three favorite pieces and why:
1. the large puppets making the title piece, “Revenge of the Knoxville Girl” shows the artist’s rich knowledge and appreciation of musical history and insightful commentary on what’s come before.
2. the “Nobody” sky painting with the plowing farmer at the bottom. The rusty maroon paint color of his silhouette engulfs him in the atmospheric light and makes him feel more distant and present in the space.
3. “I am a human” words painted in a wooded landscape that was the least finished and most painterly of the series. This sums up the show for me, balancing a love and appreciation for nature and our past, while striving to curate a space and make a special mark that becomes more relatable because it doesn’t merely mimic, but expresses a personal vision.
I send out a huge thank you to @waynewhiteart for the inspiration and the endurance to keep pushing creativity forward in exciting ways. Also, thank you to @knoxvillemuseumofart for hosting this exhibit. by @jonathanqueen

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14 days ago

Here are the three main stages of my creative process. I start with objects that I want to paint together, then set up a still life that gives me the observational information needed. Lastly, I pull it all together with paint and finish the concept based on what the painting requires instead of merely reproducing the setup. Once varnished this painting will be going to Australia for a small works group exhibition. More details soon.

#paintingfromobservation #vintagetoys #narrativepainting #acrylicpainting #studioprocess by @jonathanqueen

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16 days ago

Around 16 years ago I made this toy mashup using an Italian squeak toy and a broken talking Pee-wee doll. With a rotary tool and two-part epoxy sculpt I made the nose, neck, and jaw articulation, then repainted it with acrylics. Unbeknownst to me Paul Reubens had played Pinocchio in Shelley Duvall’s Fairie Tale Theater. And there was a larger Pee-wee ventriloquist doll that had a movable jaw. I thought I was being so original! But in reality we are all influenced by our culture and we each bring various influences together. There is bound to be some overlap of ideas.

I was really happy with how this custom toy turned out an I painted him in a narrative still life entitled “Exploring the Wilderness”. Last year someone offered to purchase this mashup toy and recently I decided to let go of this character who has been a faithful studio companion. He is currently traveling south to an amazing collection in Florida.

Trying to make a living as an artist is difficult because I like to hold onto custom sculptures I make to use in my paintings as a way to remember the painting itself. But the reality is, I need to let things go and continue to make new objects. Now that I have been selling bad kid toys for almost a year I think it’s easier to let go of another 3-D object I created.

I shared about this custom toy after Paul Reubens passed, but I wanted to talk about him one more time as a bon voyage. If you made it this far, thank you. I appreciate your willingness to share my memories of how this character came about. by @jonathanqueen

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17 days ago

Three weeks of traveling has caught up with me, so sorry about my congested voice, but I’m happy with this little solution to a design problem I had. by @jonathanqueen

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24 days ago

Yesterday I flew to LA because I’m selling my art toys at DesignerCon this weekend. I’m so grateful for the chance to see the @brandimilne exhibition hosted by @coreyhelfordgallery .

This group of paintings and drawings really tapped into my heart on an emotional level and I was brought to tears more than once. There is a power, serenity, depth, and subtlety in this work that created a space to ponder and meditate on life, loss, and relationships.

I love the way she uses imagery so near and dear to my own creative journey: pinocchio, vintage toys, hearts, halloween decor. With it I feel as though I’m witnessing someone else’s dreams/ journal entries/ memories and they feel like a reflection of my own.

The controlled color palettes are lovely and I was really struck by the use of strong outline and a subtle atmosphere in the works on paper. She says so much within a small value and color range. It was as if someone was whispering stories to me and I held on to every word.

As always, photos can never grasp the complexity of artwork and it is best seen in person with your own eyeballs. However I couldn’t resist sharing a small part of my experience. After being a fan for so long it was a real joy to experience this artwork in person. by @jonathanqueen

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a month ago

For those of you who showed interest in prints of my vintage Masters of the Universe toy portraits, I am pleased to announce that I will be having my first ever IG print release. This print celebrates the attitude and creativity of the original Heroic and Evil Warriors, each painted the way I remember engaging with these figures as a kid.
I am waiting for the artist proof to arrive. The plan is for a 16”x20” signed, limited edition of 200 to be released very soon. Keep a look out for more details.

#mastersoftheuniverse #vintagetoys #80skid #toyportrait #motucollector by @jonathanqueen

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2 months ago

As promised, here is a video showing the movements of my first ever kinetic/ interactive sculpture. Other than the nose, gloves, and teeth which are sculpted from two-part epoxy, everything else is made from reclaimed items. I learned a lot through this process and will hopefully make more elaborate pieces in the future. For now I’m holding on to this sculpture with plans of painting their portraits.

#customtoysculpture #kineticsculpture #vintagemarionette #supermariobrothers #littleshopofhorrors by @jonathanqueen

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2 months ago

Here’s my entry for “2 UP!” a retro video game themed online art show. I started making this kinetic sculpture a few years ago then I hit a wall. The inspiration was a production photo of Seymour with Audrey 2. I absolutely love “little shop of horrors” and I was simultaneously obsessed with super Mario Brothers back when I had the first Nintendo.

Materials used include: 60’s bandito marionette, Audrey 2 toy, vintage fabrics, wine bottle opener, clay pot, wooden box, typewriter parts. I wanted to make something that visually predated the character himself.

Custom sculpting of the face, gloves, plant body and teeth were made with 2-part epoxy sculpt. As my first ever kinetic/interactive sculpture, the plant movements are clunky but it enables me pose it in many phases of the chomping motion. Mario’s head turning is smooth and is his only action, making him seem incapable of deciding what to do in this situation. I’ll post video soon. In the meantime you can scroll to see a turnaround and details.

Thank you to @kagekitoys and @cavedwellertoys for hosting and planning the show. I look forward to seeing all the other entries!

#kageandcavetoyshow #2upartshow #supermariobros #customarttoy #kineticsculpture

Participating Artists:
@attempts_were_made1
@bad_chad
@basement_sludge
@benerator
@brainbasketdesigns
@cavedwellertoys
@coolcattoyco
@DookieMcFartSniffle
@dungeon_sweeper
@epoxy_crusader
@eric.folkerts.project
@fkd_toys
@garden_variety_toys
@goregrail
@Hunter__artworks
@hypervillainy
@ikin_619
@jevahocreations
@jimmyfolklore
@jonathanqueen
@juanbrave_creations
@kagekitoys
@kevycoldcuts
@Kiers.Customs
@Kilo.Flow
@lou_criticalhit
@LRH_Bootlegs
@massiveminihorse
@ocularrhombustoys
@ohnomonshers
@ordinarytoyz
@pickmansvinyls
@plastic_nebula
@pocket.salsa
@possum.hands
@rastralyall
@resinagem
@shotgunkaraoke
@spacepunktoys
@superterribletoys
@tarcacreations
@ToysVanDamned
@urna.toys
@whothefugawe
@ZeroPopArt by @jonathanqueen

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2 months ago

I am honored and humbled by my inclusion in the new book “MASTERS SOFVI”. To be clear, I am a novice in the art toy world. A huge thank you goes out to @overrun134 , a collector and now friend who was asked to write a feature article titled “The Prodigy of Art Punks”. It focuses on big name toymakers and artists inspired by Rat Fink and lowbrow art. Thankfully they decided to include some newer up and coming artists as well.

My first realistic toy painting was 30 years ago.
My first customized toy for a still life was a few years later. Over the decades my various creative jobs and personal ideas have driven me towards creating original characters. The decision to manufacture Bat Kid grew over the past few years and his first release was September 2025. My lifelong love of masks has inspired me to start making costumes for toys. Producing the Bat Fink masked figures felt like a natural step in my creative direction. I am grateful for the timing that this toy can be included in a project that features what simultaneously like a recent discovery and a lifetime in the making. Many thanks go out to Hisashi Obara and everyone involved in the making of this book!

#sofvi #customarttoy #lowbrow #ratfink #sofubi by @jonathanqueen

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4 months ago

Another @graveyardshifttoys Bat Kid has joined my collection! I’m a big Devilman collector so when my friend @jonathanqueen paints a Devilman colorway I must have it! 🦇🖤

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#devilman #devilmancolorway #batkid #graveyardshifttoys #jonathanqueen #sofubi #softvinyltoy #collector #toycollection #toycommunity #gonagai #pachidevilman #devilmanfigure #devilmancollection by @jonathanqueen

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4 months ago

Here is my submission for the 200c CURRENTLY UNDEFEATED group exhibition from March 20 through April 10. The opening is Friday March 20, from 7-10pm at USBYUS, 801 Main Street Covington, KY 41011
Update:🔴SOLD
The title of my piece is “Mr. Red Legs” (vintage Japanese version) It is a 9”x12” acrylic painting on cradled board. Swipe to see progress pics and a little timeline video.
Thank you Matt for hosting the show! I’m glad to be a part of it. For purchase info contact @theusbyus #mrredlegs #vintagebobblehead #astroboy #greatamericanballpark taken in Cincinnati by @jonathanqueen

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4 months ago

“BEAST MAN”
6” square
acrylic on board
🔴SOLD
Swipe to see full painting by @jonathanqueen

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5 months ago