The Rabbit Next Door

This painting of a rabbit was done on a toned canvas. The background was left unpainted. Grass is represented by a few abstract strokes of raw umber.

The Rabbit Next Door. 9x12, oil on linen panel. 2014.

Even though there are plenty of rabbits in our neighborhood, the hard part of painting them is getting a good photo to use: I have to sneak up on them with my camera and take a few pictures before they bolt.  I photographed this rabbit in our next door neighbor's yard as he/she was busy munching on some clover one evening in late spring.

Other than that, I think rabbits are nice, simple animals to paint. I used a palette of cobalt blue, burnt sienna and yellow ochre (with a bit of alizarin for the ears) and painted the whole thing in a single session.

Like the rabbit I painted last year I left the background unpainted. I do this for rabbit paintings mainly to avoid casting them adrift in a sea of green paint.


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