【Maninilip (2025)】

Remember being a kid,Maninilip (2025) when all it took to cheer you up was a cuddle with your favorite teddy bear?

Brent Estabrook, a 31-year-old artist from Los Angeles, taps into that childhood feeling to create gorgeous, incredibly detailed paintings of stuffed animals.

He recently shared his work on Reddit with the caption, "Hey Reddit, I gave up my 9-to-5 to pursue my true love in life: ART!!!"

SEE ALSO: Artist's animated "Illusions" will mesmerize you

"I always viewed stuffed animals as symbolic to that childhood state where anything is possible, and dreams and passions had no limits!" Estabrook wrote in an email to Mashable.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

"At some point in life, society starts trying to convince you that, 'You need to get a good secure job, save for retirement, and when you are 60, then you can have fun.' Screw that! I say, do what you love now," he told Mashable.

"Furthermore, stuffed animals are the great generational-connector of our time. Everybody from the oldest living person to an infant can often find a positive connection with stuffed animals," he believes. "So, for what I hope is not too self-serving of a reason, I enjoy painting stuffed animals because I know I can a can attract a large audience and thus spread the message of the absolute beauty of following your dreams and passions."

Mashable Trend Report Decode what’s viral, what’s next, and what it all means. Sign up for Mashable’s weekly Trend Report newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Estabrook also enjoys the challenge of painting detailed, vibrant stuffed animals.

"From an artistic standpoint, stuffed animals fulfill all my artistic desires. Painting stuffed animals allows me to exemplify oil paints' beauty of color and brushstroke (texture)," he explained to Mashable. "I have recently been fortunate enough to see some of the greats (Monet, Rembrandt, Dali, etc...) in person and was completely blown away by the experience. My hope is to make my art as exciting to look at in person as were the works mentioned above."

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

To create his stuffed menageries, the artist paints a combination of random stuffed animals and characters we all know and love, including My Little Pony, Mickey Mouse, Mike Wazowski, Nemo and Elmo.

The largest stuffed animal painting Estabrook has made is 84 inches by 72 inches. When asked how long he spends painting each piece, he explained that it's hard to measure, because he works on multiple pieces at a time.

"In short, I have no idea, I work on multiple paintings at a once. Time, like a Dali clock, melts away," he said, poetically. "If I had to guess, for one of my larger pieces, I would say between 200 and 300 hours. You'll rarely catch me outside of my studio."

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Estabrook followed his dreams by dedicating his art to painting stuffed animals, and he is passionate about inspiring young people to do the same.

"I would encourage everybody to take some time out of their day to think about what does and will make them the happiest in life," Estabrook said. "Specifically if you are still in the, 'What the hell do I do with my life?' stage, then please, please take this advice: Life here on Earth is very short. Do not waste it working at some mindless job; create happy living on your own terms. The internet alone has created a billion, zillion ways to do this. Just start reading books, doing research and start pursuing a life of passion!"

To see more of Brent Estabrook's art, check out his website and Instagram.

---

Featured Video For You

---

Londoners queue to stick their arms through a hole for a surprise tattoo

---

• Shopping
• Digital Culture
• Social Good
• Tech
• Deals
• Life
• Science
• Entertainment

• NYT mini crossword answers for April 24, 2025
• Why 2020's Atlantic hurricane forecast went from bad to worse
• Drake and Will Ferrell teach NBA stars some sick handshakes in hilarious sketch
• Harry Potter movies shift to Peacock as streaming wars heat up
• NYT Connections Sports Edition hints and answers for April 23: Tips to solve Connections #212
• Apple launches new iMac with better display and 1080p webcam
• Donald Trump is going after Jeff Bezos but also seems a bit confused
• Instagram insists 'bug' that negatively affected Joe Biden was 'not partisan'
• The Amazon Book Sale is coming April 23 through 28
• Window Swap lets you pretend to work from other people's homes

• 'Watchmen': Everything you need to know from the comic after Episode 2
• If you own an iPhone 5, you'd better update your iOS right now
• Watch the crowd at the World Series chomp in rhythm to 'Baby Shark'
• At $89 an earbud, you might want AppleCare with those AirPods Pro
• Kylie Jenner's 'Snap Opera' is back but this time it's in Spanish
• Coven of aquatic witches take to the water for annual paddleboarding
• This Time cover totally nails the chaos in Trump's White House right now
• Jack Dorsey trashes Facebook's Libra, say it's not even a cryptocurrency
• Can Facebook's News tab fix the problems News Feed created?
• J.K. Rowling is scared sh*tless after watching Trump's press conference

• Alienware M16 Gaming Laptop deal: Save $560
• 'Handmaid's Tale' protesters hit back at healthcare bill at the Capitol
• Update: Twitter temporarily bans Trump team from tweeting
• Lindsay Lohan takes a page out of GOOP's book and launches her own lifestyle site
• The State of 5G: When It's Coming, How Fast It Will Be & The Sci
• Samsung reveals Galaxy Z Fold2, stresses durability after first Fold disaster
• Koala and dog stuck down an abandoned mineshaft get rescued
• Netflix's 'Street Food: Latin America' has a big responsibility
• U.N. aims to make carbon emissions cost money at COP 25 climate talks
• The Queen receives £6 million pay rise

• Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K deal: Get 40% off
• Apple's $699 Mac Pro wheels too pricey? These are much cheaper.
• Netflix's 'Immigration Nation' is a must
• Google calls Pixel 4a 'helpful phone at a helpful price' in early listing
• Parental Controls: How to Lock Down Your Kids' iOS Devices
• Guy gathers 'moral support' to tell his crush his feelings. It doesn't go well.
• Apple launches new iMac with better display and 1080p webcam
• 40 activists give us hope for the future on 'British Vogue' September issue cover
• Commissioning Misleading Core i9
• These photos of nervous cheetahs playing with their 'support dogs' will make your day