Great Scott! Is That A Bunny Looking Glass?!

Hiya folks! Long time no blog... sincere apologies. Since the show I've taken to being motivated in other areas. I've actually had time to go grocery shopping, which led to some baking and salad making (rhyme alert) plus some fabulous sewing projects! Made a couple dresses and a fun little appliquéd pillow for my mama. I've also been having some good ol' internet issues. I had to take a step back on speed to get with "reliable internet" and let me tell you, I'd take speed over reliable any day. Give me a fast connection speed or give me death! Not literally of course because that'd just be dumb. So needless to say, hopping on the 'putter just hasn't been worth the amount of distress it causes. However, I figured before this whole boat went stale I better suck it up and write away... hey! 

This was the last picture I showed you:

 I thought I'd post this piece again... if memory serves you well (and I hope it does) you'll notice some very obvious changes... and if you're very observant, some not so obvious changes (but for the color connoisseur it should be easy breezy lemon squeezy.)

I cannot tell you how frustrating this piece was for me. I was THIS CLOSE to painting over it and bagging the whole thing. I swear I changed the background at least 4 times before I black-washed it and stuck it in a "frame." The idea for that golden nugget came out spontaneous while vocalizing said frustrations to my uber patient mother. What's really funny, is I kind of can't stand the color pink. So why I started with a pink background is beyond me. I usually start on a black canvas... odd.

This, over here < is its frustrating transitional phase:

 I REALLY liked this concept and the direction this painting was taking. In this photo it actually looks pretty sweet but in person it fell short of my expectations... like wee midget short, only not as amazing. The colors in the background were fabulous in person, but it really showed just how OFF my color scheme on her was. The green looked muted, it was pretty but very dull. The background was also very over powering and she got lost in the busy. Not to mention my sweet little honey bunny was being smothered by the awesomeness of the clouds... So with the colors of the background mucking up the colors of the foreground I took on the task of changing the color of her entire outfit. I made it a more jubilee green but even after that daunting task it still wasn't working.

So, after spending nearly 4 hours re-coloring her and 6 hours on the background... I black-washed the background and then let it sit and stew in my studio. I didn't make eye contact with it, I hid it behind my easel and moved onto other things.

Then... crunch time came. The show was 5 days away and ideas began to whirl, frustrations sub-sided and brush met canvas once more.

This is what it looks like today: 

I ended up titling it "Bunny Looking Glass." I basically just borrowed the book title and changed "Through the" and replaced it with "Bunny," but I didn't notice my savvy sneakery until way later. I love words that rhyme and bunny obviously rhymes with funny and every time I say the title I mentally say "its a Bunny [funny] Looking Glass." It makes me snicker every time. What can I say? I'm easily entertained.

It's still not one of my favorite pieces, but I like the concept of sticking her in a looking glass (aka mirror) frame. I think the black subdued it a little and I feel like its not crazy enough to be tied to a Wonderland-esque theme and still think my the transitional phase would have looked better had I not started with the foreground ::sad face:: 

BUT it did get a lot of positive remarks from people at its debut. My cousin's girlfriend loved it and asked random people throughout the night (usually in the bathroom) which painting was their favorite. I don't know the exact amount of people she asked, but every one she did tell me about said this was their favorite. Katie, your enthusiasm and delightfully tipsy stupor that night made this painting a winner. Thank you for that.

Cheerio!