Bully Bunny OR A Preconceived Notion Run Amuck

Bully Bunny   watercolor/relief ink   20 x 10

Rabbits are sweet herbivores, right?  Well...this bunny threw me for a loop.  Most often, I have somewhat of a preconceived notion of the way a work will look upon completion.  Oh, yes, it varies SOMEWHAT.  But, in this case, I was completely surprised as the work twisted and turned and evolved in a completely surprising way.  No predictability here.  The rabbit painting in my brain was a bit more watercolory...more botanical...more realistic.  But at each turn, my personal aesthetic was at odds with the realism of the subject.  The realistic bunny morphed into an Easter Bunny!   While I am not a big fan of the start-over, as the do-overs always seem to follow the same path as the original.  In this case, there were two, yes two, do-overs.  My own sense of correctness was stronger than the realistic representation.

All I can say is SURPRISE!  Yes, bunnies are sweet.  But in this case, this bunny was a bully!

'tis the season

Bunny Girl   watercolor/gouache   13 x 8

'Tis the season of the rabbit. I love them. What's not to love? They are soft and fluffy. They are herbivores. They don't bother anyone. They are gentle. To me, they represent the yin, the feminine side of nature. "Bunny Girl" was painted oh-so-long-ago but remains one of my favorites and I really don't know why....it just speaks to my soul. This young girl, whose name I have forgotten, is holding the rabbit in such a maternal way, a loving way, the way in which I wish we would all treat each other. My watercolors range from expressive to dark to strong to mistaken to gentle. I guess watercolor speaks softly so well. I really do love rabbits. Especially the chocolate ones.