This little rabbit is inspired by the beautiful, lusciously round rabbits that Jackie Needham (a ceramist) makes. Her site doesn't currently have them, but they're all-white, fat rabbits with soft faces and beautiful bodies that beg to be stroked. (Her other work is lovely too!)
I wanted to make a lovely fat, cuddlesome rabbit too; so I first drew and then painted this little lovely.
But, I've since stalled.
Initially, I imagined him on a shelf – a painted ceramic version, if you will, looking down at a little silver bird sculpture that I have in my house. But then I realized I didn’t know how to convey a “silver” bird in watercolour (yet). So then I thought "A robin".
But then I thought – a live robin? On a shelf? That doesn’t
make any sense. <sigh>
Then, Eureka! A harvest
mouse! I have always loved harvest mice and have long wanted to do an entire
series of them, much like the birds I did a couple of years back.
So I did a rough sketch of a harvest mouse, filled it in
with frisket to protect it when I painted the background and put the bunny away
to dry. However, when I went back to it the next day, I realized, a harvest mouse (climbing grass!) makes even less sense than a robin. Aught.
So... okay, this is an outdoor scene. I painted the shelf blue to make it “water”, but as it was drying I realized I would have to add a lot more background for an outdoor scene that would make sense of a harvest mouse climbing the straws: grasses, flowers, assorted undergrowth – all of which would obscure my lovely fat rabbit, and which should have been done in the background before I even painted the rabbit.
So I put it away again.
I’ve since come up with another idea that I think will
work, but before I can get to it, I have to finish the dress I’m making for a wedding
I’m going to on Friday (I may have procrastinated just a bit.)
So, here is my fat bunny, and I hope next week, I’ll have
some progress or perhaps a finished painting to show you !
See you then. :)
Your little fat rabbit is quite delightfully wonderful...you will find just the right environment for him, I am sure...just takes some time and experimentation...keep on exploring the possibilities, for sure
ReplyDeleteKristin