Mommy Mayhem: Bunny Landscape #7, 2022, Acrylic and Oil on Canvas, 36" x 24"
This abstract painting of a toy bunny rabbit in a landscape took over 3 years to complete. Thickly built up paint in red, yellow, purple, green, black, white, and blue multicolors completely covers the canvas. The surface texture is so thick that it has a sculptural quality. My abstracted bunny paintings are based on loose, gestural sketches of the same stuffed toy rabbits in different positions. I have painted and sketched these particular stuffed animals from life on many occasions so am familiar with their shapes and forms. I initially paint the forms of the toy bunny rabbits, then push the image further into abstraction. In the painting process, I work to alter the forms, light, colour saturation, and depth of space in the paintings.
The fast-drying acrylic paint allowed me to build up thin layers and texture, then I adjust luminous oil paint on top to bring out certain colours. Over multiple painting sessions I worked to create variety in the shapes, lines, planes and spatial depth. The bright and fun colours come from the overwhelming children’s toys that fill my home.