The Running Hare

I completed this 10x20 rabbit painting in March 2021. Almost immediately I didn't like it. I was cute, but it was just...off. I couldn't figure out out. Was it the head? The ears? The long back legs? The background also bothered me. It was a cute painting but it wasn't a striking painting. There wasn't anything particularly memorable about it and it's always just BOTHERED me. 

I've thought about the different ways that I wanted to rework this painting for over a year. Heck - for two years! When I initially worked on this piece I drew it with the ears flowing behind the rabbit. But when I drew it out I didn't like it. I've never been able to stop thinking about the flowing ears. 

I am taking more paintings to a gallery soon - I'm getting more space there! I found myself thinking about old art that hadn't really moved. This painting was the first thing that came to mind. I even took this to an art show and it wasn't a hit. I knew that if I was going to take this painting to the gallery it needed to be reworked. I couldn't stop thinking about the long flowing ears. So, I sat down to paint. But then I realized I didn't like the face. So, I changed the face. And then I had to tackle that background. So, I did gold leaf. But there was still something missing. So, I picked black cactus. 

And then I realized after reworking this painting that I couldn't take it to the gallery after all. So, it's staying home and another painting is going to go in its place (and I'm going to put this in my dining room).