"Colours of a Fox" : Watercolour

"Colours of a Fox"

Watercolour

( Copyright : Jean Haines )

This has to have been my best ever painting day in ages! I have had such a fantastic time working in my studio. I woke dreading unwrapping all the paintings for my solo show. Please don't misunderstand. I love seeing my work framed and it is so exciting seeing each painting as it appears back from the framers. But I knew this unwrapping of a whole collection would take me away from painting and I think from my blog posts today you can see where my heart lay.

I had to paint. 

And oh boy did I paint! 

There were almost sparks coming off my brushes.

I have happily finished the fox in watercolour painting and I have loved every single brushstroke added to this piece. I had to leave this beautiful animal yesterday with no ears and only one eye. The porr thing! I often actually only paint one eye but this gorgeous fox deserved two. Bright shining and full of life. This is a young fox, eager, inquisitive and raring to go.

 The painting below is where I had stopped working yesterday. And to be honest I like it as it is at this stage. But I felt I couldn't exhibit it without adding more detail.

"Colours of a Fox"

Stage 1.

 

Over the years we have watched fox families visit our garden and we have often witnessed them as we have driven home in the country lanes late at night. The best sight was a group ofsmall  cubs playing  with each other. We stopped the car and were fascinated. They played just like puppies which isn't suprising as they are of course related to the dog family.

I have come to learn about "Cubbing" recently. The practise where fox hunters train their hounds how to kill apparently. On fox cubs.  I can't think of any human enjoying teaching a dog to kill. Or any human enjoying killing wildlife. But then thats' me. Maybe in years to come future generations will look back and ask

"Did people really do that?"

When it is probably too late to turn back the clock.

But for now I am working on my exhibition and I cannot wait to see these last few paintings framed. But wait, that will mean even more work to unwrapthem when they come back  and even more lost painting time!

Oh well!

Thats' the circle of life for an exhibiting artist!

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