Violet Trails and Cottontails

In any situation, one can get an inspiration for a painting. I saw these bunnies in the yard of a bed and breakfast during one of my gallery tours. It was spring, and the marsh violets were blooming everywhere. The combination — rabbits and violets — was evident, so I did my fieldwork. Nearby was a nature center with an abundance of spring flowers I’d never seen before. We have no marsh violets in Europe, and here the ground was covered with them. The fieldwork was easy, and coming back to my studio, it was the first painting I started. It also is the first painting I completed in my new studio in France.
Rabbits and squirrels are among my favorite animals. So, now and then, as an alternative to the big creatures, they can be a nice subject and a welcome change. Because of their smaller size, they allow you to paint a background closeup, which I like so much. It was an enormous amount of work, but the satisfaction was no less!

I dedicate this painting to the two young people at the Brukner Nature Center, Bob and Debbie Brill, who were so generous with their time and their assistance.