About Beau & Friends
Beauregard
He's curious…timid… often mischievous… and always wide-eyed. Beau loves adventure and traveling his world while meeting new Friends Along The Way. Oh, and he has no mouth... so no need to worry about his tiniest bug friends.
Beau first appeared in the paintings Hey You and Hey Me. Since then, Beau's appearance has evolved into how we know him today.
Always look for Beau in each painting ... sometimes hidden!
Red
Red the ladybug has been around since Beau was first introduced in the painting, "Hey You." Red, a bit timid but eager to explore, has become a staple appearing in many pieces as he often strikes the curiosity of Beau. Not long into their friendship, Red has established himself as Beau's sidekick.
Ollie
Ollie the baby duck was introduced in early 2012 in the painting "Sitting Duck." Ollie, a little clumsy and still earning his feathers, was named by fans who came to visit me while I was painting in my hometown of Celebration during an artist event. Ollie's spindly legs and oversized feet contribute to his adorably awkward adventures that he takes on with no reservations, no fear and an abundance of inquisitiveness.
Honu
Honu the sea turtle existed long before her name and was my first female character. I decided to name her Honu after an impactful visit to Hawaii left me appreciative of the lgend of Kauila, a honu known for watching over the keiki (children) on the shore. Honu is a happy-go-lucky turtle with an entire ocean to explore. She's laid back and welcomes whatever comes her way ... be it a friendly frog, a tiny sea horse (as in "See Horse") or other Friends Along The Way.
Toothpick
Don't let the big toothy grin fool you. Toothpick is a gentle, friendly gator who is often seen in the pond giving a lift to his smallest friends.
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Lily
Lily first appeared in the painting "Standoff." She flits around the same lakes Beau often visits. Named for her favorite landing spot (water lilies), she's a bit cautious but embraces meeting new Friends in her lakes.
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Sheldon
Sheldon has been a longtime friend of Beau and Red since first being featured in "Piggyback." Though sometimes shy upon first meeting new Friends, Sheldon continues to prove he's loyal and caring.
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Sly
Sly is, as his name suggests, a bit sly and elusive. He appeared in earlier paintings but first met Beau in "Fox Hole." Sly makes only occasional appearance - he's always frolicking place-to-place within his forest.
Busy
First featured in the painting "Busy Bee," Busy seemed a bit fearful of the tiny green frog that investigated as he visited a daisy. Beau the frog proved relentless in pursuit of his friendship with Busy ("Bee Mine") and slowly Busy is allowing himself some facetime with Beau and friends.
Trouble
Trouble is inspired by my dog Kira (now passed) who was always finding herself in some sort of trouble ... but she was always super happy, childlike and seemingly loved all the trouble she found. Trouble is not just a reflection of Kira's personality, she also looks like her!
Stormy
Though Stormy looks a little brown when wet from the rain, Stormy is actually black and white and is named after my wife's tuxedo cat that she had years before we even met. Perhaps a tad inquisitive, Stormy explores high and low and everywhere and inbetween meeting friends.
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Echo
He's known for booping. Frog noses, cat noses ... he's making his way around the world booping. Echo became an immediate fan favorite when he appeared in Bat Boop and continues to be.
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Tahoe
When he's not hibernating, Tahoe is breaking all the rules of being a bear. From befriending tiny blue butterflies to appreciating and never taking for granted the aurora borealis that lights his northern home.
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Mizu
A small bit coy (pun intended), Mizu's name comes the Japanese word for water. And if you catch her angle just right, you'll she has a heart on her back just behind her head.
Graytee
You can often find me visiting the rescued manatees at Epcot. After watching and studying the habits and playful personalities from Lil' Joe and Lou, I found myself inspired to paint a manatee. After he appeared in several paintings, I finally decided he was sticking around as a member of Friends Along The Way and his name became Graytee (the spelling of course playing off the spelling of manatee).
Bear
Where do I start with Bear?
Bear is an exact copy of a certain pup who stole my heart. A certain pup whose name I gave to the Friend who started it all ... yep, Beau the frog. Our dog Beauregard (who was my wife's dog when we met) was like no other with the biggest personality, the gentlest heart and the shortest legs with the biggest paws. Beau was 50% Doxie and 50% Lab and all 100% good boy.
When I first painted Beau the frog, I gave him the name Beau after this brown pupperoni. And so when I started sketching and eventually painting Beau the dog, I had to select a different name for him of course. Bear was an easy choice since Beau was often called Brown Bear or Beau Bear or Bear Dog ... he had a lot of nicknames which usually included Bear.
Bear holds a very special place in my heart and on the canvas. In his paintings, I get to remember Beau (Bear) and smile and watch his life continue on through story and paint.