A Wild Hair!

When March marches in (heehee), spring is at hand! Easter, The Cross, colored eggs and baskets and bunnies! I do love the bunnies but not so much when they are munching on my backyard roses.

I painted this rabbity fellow a couple days ago. You might say I had a wild hair to paint a hare! I usually have several primed boards stacked in the garage waiting on my next wood sign workshop (one of my Coastal Color Studio art classes). With said hair waving wildly, I grabbed a board (5 1/2" x 17 1/2")  from my stash, pulled out brushes, paints and a water jar, tied on an apron and placed the board on my easel.

Here is the google image I used as a reference.

A few weeks ago I used this same image for a watercolor.

My process in painting the rabbit on the board was first to sketch a loose outline of the rabbit in the reference photo.
Using a mechanical pencil I quickly drew a simple outline of the rabbit right on the primed board. I began painting using both inexpensive craft paint as well as my Liquitex and Golden acrylic paints. Obviously I was not going for a replica of the photo image but rather an artsy interpretation. I
am more drawn to an expressionist view rather than a literal interpretation so that is what I most like to paint.
I love the playfulness of blush pink in the body and ears of the rabbit and also the turquoise that bounces like light from the sides and nose of the bunny. I wanted whimsy and a playfulness in this painting but also a touch of the dramatic which led to the black background.

I just love him!

I asked my husband to make a frame for my bunny from some of our pallet wood - also used in my wood workshops.

Here he is all framed up for spring! I especially like how the red oak of the wood complements the blush and orange in the rabbit.

original acrylic on board, framed rustic style in pallet wood, hanger attached
5 1/2" x 17 1/2" - $55 and free shipping within the contiguous U.S.
Payment via Paypal - Leave a comment if you want to purchase. 

What do you think? Does this ignite a creative spark in you? Feel free to leave a comment if you have a question about paint, brushes or technique.