Some Rabbit Sketches

Just pencil and paper. I love this plain medium, and I feel that one can reach some emotion, some underlying concept by simple means. Here are a few sketches on the rabbit theme. All three have something that is not easy to define.

Mother Snowball SOLD

Lola Hiding AVAILABLE

Vanilla in the Brambles AVAILABLE

A Too Precious Little Rabbit Teaset

Some time ago a collection of toys went on show. That was the Buckingham Palace exhibition called "Royal Childhood". Nothing could be more delightful that the tiny pink tea set with all the pieces in the shape of rabbits! If such a mold for the porcelain could still exist or could be copied, I am sure not children, but grown-up collectors would love a set like that. And now that I think about it, I wonder if there were others girls at the time who had a set and looked so well after it?

Pink rabbit Tea Pot by Marie Theron. ZAR 650 or $65 plus shipping

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Here is my painting of the "I'm a little teapot"-rabbit. In the background I painted my interpretation of William Morris Larkspur wallpaper 1872, which makes the background much older than the tea pot which must be from the 1920's. Until about the 50's there were pink cups like that in everyone's kitchen. Who can remember this color? The design was painted in gouache and ink pens. The teapot is in oils. All on cartridge paper, mounted and shrink-wrapped for easy gifting.

I love this photo which shows off the scale of the miniatures
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Twins in a Tulip World

"In his lecture, Some Hints on Pattern Designing, 1881, he (William Morris) traced the history of repeating patterns from ancient and classical times to the Gothic period in which a significant change in pattern structure took place,  marked by what he called ,the universal acceptance of continuous growth. Morris mostly used a diagonal or a network of diamond shapes to base the patterns on. From: " William Morris Designs and Patterns by Norah Gillow. "

Twins in a Tulip World  by South African Artist Marie Theron 2014
USA: $59 plus $16 shipping (airmail, fast)
SA: R 630 plus R22 normal posting

Here today, is an image for the lovers of pink. The baby twin rabbits looks snug against antique pink and antique blue. The original pattern was Wm M : Tulip Chintz, hardly recognisable here where I  brought the soft blue into the design.

I am hoping to reach number 25 of the William Morris rabbits. The new packaging cost me quite a bit, but I am very pleased to be able to present my work like that. The paintings are protected until the buyer is ready to frame them behind glass.

The West Coast and I

Ten years ago we moved to the West Coast to live close to the ocean. How close? Friends who have seen photos of my home, will know! The photos in this post were taken 80  meters from where I live by friend and photographer Mary Ann Bosch, who absolutely loves the West Coast too. 

In May last year, I lost my husband and  although I bravely declared that I would remain here forever, I slowly started to identify my new role. So I am making a shift to warm Natal where we have lived before, and where my twin granddaughters are.   I will not make any move in haste. I was never a person to be hurried along, but yes, I am gradually taking leave and getting new plans together. I keep a wide space in my heart for the West Coast and for the lovely memories we have collected.

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Playing with Rabbits and Depth

I was pleased to realize that the bunnies have become a part of me when a friend wrote: "somehow they are so you"! We had better watch my facial features, as I may begin to resemble The March Hare or some such character!

Both the blue Wm Morris rabbits from my last blog have sold, and I know I must do every other background blue. Blue is so like Delft and very popular.But for the moment, I have made another rabbit displayed against William Morris's Trellis Wallpaper design. This was a working drawing for a design and he was trying different backgrounds behind the trellis. I decided to paint both the rust colour and the beige background and to fill the whole design with black or white ink patterns.

I then placed the rabbit so that it seems to sit on a vertical piece of fencing and to chat to the wallpaper bird. A 3-D rabbit and a flat 2-D bird. A 3-D rabbit sitting on a flat piece of trellis!

Somebunny is Confused. Available artwork

What fun to play like that! And from that I got the name for the painting: "Somebunny is Confused!"