Just a Couple of Silly Wabbits!

Good Things Come to Those Who Wait- 8 x 10 colored pencil sketch

YOU SILLY WABBIT!   It is hard to think of anything as cute as a sweet little bunny rabbit.  Here are two cute little guys that are part of my "Down Country Roads Collection".  Sorry for the poor cell phone photo of my latest drawing, "Good Things Come to Those that Wait" but because I'm on the road and away from my handy flat bed scanner I have to depend on my cell phone to snap a picture of my artwork.   I was so excited yesterday when I finished this piece,  that I decided that I would use the cell phone photo for now.  

I have had the experience of having pet bunnies several times in my life and one thing that stands out to me about their behavior is that they are natural born chewing machines.  Just last week a dear friend of mine shared a story of how recently her pet bunny chewed her clothes dryer cord and nearly burnt their house down.  That's a bunny rabbit for you.  They love to chew unattended electrical cords.  

I also remember that we had to put chicken wire around the base of each of our trees in the backyard to keep them from striping the bark off and in the process killing the trees.  No shrub, flower or vegetable could stand a chance against their always moving incisors.

When you think of bunnies, you also immediately think of carrots, or at least I do.   I'm not sure that this particular vegetable is actually a favorite food over any other leafy green delicacies but the association with them is very strong.  Maybe it all started with something as iconic as a cartoon character and the phrase "What's up Doc?".

Whatever the reason, I love these carrots and how their bright colors add to my sketch compositions.  When I started drawing this little lop ear fellow I was thinking about the old saying "Good things come to those who wait" and the virtue of patience.   I could visualize this little guy patiently watching the carrots grow and that thought made me smile.  

Both of these original sketches are available along with prints, greeting cards and art magnets.  You can check out all my artwork on my website at julietownsendstudio.com.  

Don't Forget to Eat Your Vegetables

Drawing a Crowd

I took a few minutes the other day to finish up a sketch I started the previous day of a nose licking calf.  The sketch is on Canson Bristol paper and is primarily done with my Prismacolor Fine Line Marker .005 using a stippling technique that I just love to use .  It is time consuming but I find the repetition very relaxing.  I can quickly get into the "ZONE" with my sketchpad in front of me.  I also lightly tented the drawing later in my studio with a Tombow marker and my Prismacolor pencils and overall very pleased with how it turned out.

I have found, as a busy artist, grandmother and working part-time as an accountant that I must seize the opportunities presented me to be creative.  Because of this, sketching is a perfect solution.  Dragging my rolling art case, easel and canvases everywhere is just not practical. So I have developed the habit of caring a portable drawing kit that I've made up with me everywhere I go. (I think that will be an excellent future blog)   As it is my custom habit on many mornings to be found enjoying my favorite cup of coffee and the free WiFi I can often be found at none other than McDonalds writing this blog or sketching in my sketchbook.

Coffee in hand, It wasn't long before I was into the zone only to become faintly aware of the fact that I could hear voices behind me and I looked up to find a young man, red-haired and freckled face standing there.  He looked to be about 11 or 12 years old.  I could tell with his father's encouragement he came over to me to tell me that he really liked my drawing. I smiled and thanked him.   How sweet is that?

A short time later a small group of African-American ladies had also taken up a position behind me.  The obvious mother of the group shared with me how her daughter likes to paint and the she proceeded to use me as an example of how how her daughter needed to keep practicing her artistic skills.  I thanked them and gave them an invitation to my up coming solo art show next month.

What a positive morning that was.  I can honestly say that "It made my day!"  I love sharing my love of art with young people.  Well honestly if you're even anywhere close to ear shot and still breathing I would enjoy talking to you about art in general and specifically my art.  I guess that is why I love this blog and have spent the 5 years now writing it.

"Who Needs a Tissue"-8 x 10" pen and ink sketch

The original artwork of "Who Needs a Tissue" is available for sale and is matted to an easy to frame 11 x 14 inch size.  Prints and blank greeting cards are available at Julie Townsend Studio or  Julie Townsend's Etsy Shop