Year of the Rabbit 2011
I found this ceramic rabbit pitcher in The Mingei Museum Shop. There are a few objects that I use repeatedly in my still life paintings. This is one that I use quite often, it has an evocative aspect that I especially love.
Rabbit is the fourth of 12 animal signs of the Japanese Zodiac. 2011 is the Year of the Golden Rabbit; The Month of the Rabbit began March 4 and ended April 5. Rabbit follows the year of the tiger, bringing in a year of good luck and peace. Symbol of the Moon, start of night and magic, Rabbit represents the Yin of life.
There is often an assumption of wholeness and perfection in still life painting, but actually a lot of things in this world are damaged. In this painting wanted to include some incompleteness and tension. I used a piece of one of my favorite vases, which fell off a shelf in my studio one day, and to my dismay, broke.( I truly loved that vase, I saved every piece.) The orange is just barely peeled as if it needs to vent a kind of orange energy.
Here in March and April, everything begins to unwind, precious things are broken forever under Rabbits peaceful gaze.
