Thursday, September 17, 2009

The Rabbit and The Moon

There is of course, backstory behind the artwork. First off, this month's theme for our local art group was *Moon* which in and of itself did not excite me too much. But I kept seeing ads on Canadian TV for a restaurant that was having a "Moon Festival Special" and that perked me up. It was oriental food, so I started a search o-line for some info.
It seems three countries celebrate the Moon Festival (essentially a harvest festival); Japan, Korea and China. It is the Chinese version that inspired this work, which I apologize for the poor quality of the photos. maybe clicking on one will give more detail, and let you see the texture and work involved.

As the legend goes, in the Buddhist story "Śaśajâtaka", a monkey, an otter, a jackal, and a rabbit resolved to practice charity on the Uposatha, believing a demonstration of great virtue would earn a great reward.
When an old man begged for food, the monkey gathered fruits from the trees and the otter collected dead fish from the river bank, while the jackal wrongfully pilfered a lizard and a pot of milk-curd. The rabbit, who knew only how to gather grass, instead offered its own body, throwing itself into a fire the man had built. The rabbit, however, was not burnt. The old man revealed himself to be Śakra (God of the Heavens), and touched by the rabbit's virtue, drew the likeness of the rabbit on the moon for all to see. It is said the lunar image is still draped in the smoke that rose when the rabbit cast itself into the fire.


The background behind the moon is a combination of Chinese text, some from old books, some stamped, all on various types of paper, and collaged together. Then they were coated with fluid acrylic and some interference colors, which glow when the light hits them right. The moon is cut from another canvas panel, same material as the back support, and a photo image was collaged on, with paint added to that. The rabbit is a sheer, stick on material that is covered with holographic glitter.

I used bottle caps to show the various moon phases and had an interesting surprise. The background paper for the dark of the moon was a metallic, and when coated with Triple Thick Glaze, it tarnished and crackled, much like the color of the moon that is the focal point. No clue this would happen! The papers around the edges were scraps I had saved from other projects and turned out to be a good foil for the frame I had painted red. The blues accented the cool color of the moon and the irridescent bumps on the one paper almost matched the glitter of the rabbit. The symbol in the upper right hand corner that looks quite like an "A" is the figure for "Moon".

And so, I have a rabbit in the moon, and am happy with him, though it was a hurried and not nearly perfect project. But I very much like the story and the moral of it, so it endears the piece a bit more.

May we all be rabbits......

Pax.

22 comments:

Tristan Robin said...

http://tristanrobinblakeman.com/applause.gif

LOVE it!!!!!!

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Tristan......you are so...YOU!!! And I love that!
I wish this would have photogrpahed better--it's one of those pieces that needed a professional to shoot, but it got ME instead! LOL!!!
It was just a cut fun piece, but that glittery heavy stick on plastic for the rabbit---I could see you using that. They have it at JoAnns in the scrapbooking section---$1.99 for an approx. 8x10 piece. Cut it and pull the back off and stick it on. You could find many uses for it.
I'd send you some but still caring for the hubster so not heading back for a while.

XXOO!!!
Anne

Linda and Michelle said...

I love looking at this - and now appreciate it even more, having read the detail behind it - great story and wonderful composition - I thought the bottle caps were shiny stones at first- love it even more knowing they're caps!

Great job!!!

audrey said...

What a great story! And how wonderful that you were inspired to make this piece of art because of your curiosity and research.
Loving it.

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Thanks Linda!
I love working with bottle caps---they lend themselves to so many things, and honestly the piece was fun to put together, though mostly it put itself together....you know what I mean. The best part was the triple thick glaze making the metallic paper tarnish, and there is a crackle on op, which shouldn't have happened but it GREAT!
Art surprises! Sometimes they're wonderful!

XXOO!!!
Anne

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Hi Audrey....

My stomach had a lot to do with the research! LOL! I love oriental food and the ad on TV just clung to me....enough to see what it was all about.
If only the restaurant was close....alas.... <:(
But I have the art!
And a beautiful late summer day here too!

XXOO!!!
Anne

Anonymous said...

OMG!..I am loving this, anne!
I am being picked up in a minute for our thursday sew day..geeze.
I wanna study this!...will have to wait till i get home later on!
So wonderfl to see your creativity coming back!..
i'll comment more later..
Wooohooo!
gypsy

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Take your time....it'll be here and won't hop off!
Will post your give-away tomorrow!

XXOO!!!
Anne

Leslie said...

As a woman born in the Year of the Horse with a Year of the Boar daughter, whose father is Year of the Ox, I need the moon as a retreat.

It's wonderful as always.

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

I think I am a Pig......let me rephrase that, born in the year of the Pig.... ;)

I just need a retreat!!!

thanks for the kind words!

XXOO!!!
Anne

Georgina said...

Great story and great project. Reminds me a little of Cain and Abel...the otter and jackal part anyway...ok, nothing like Cain and Abel, but I was on some roll a while ago and it's lost now...brain fart!!

Hope all goes well with DH and you get some rest. My DH had a relapse...his jalapeno never left the building!!!

Jan said...

I can't believe you put this together so fast! I mean I DO believe it, but good golly! Is that another frame inside the other frame or is it something you made from clay or what? It is another good one from our Anne.

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Georgina...oh, you make me laugh! Sorry your DH's pepper is still popping.....Soon to pass?
Off for some needed rest. Worn thin and want SLEEP! HA!

XXOO!!!
Anne

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Jan, I kickied it inot high gear just because I had to. This is a cheap frame that had a plain mat and then the little fancy plastic inner *frame*. I had to be careful taking it apart that I didn't rip, tear or break something.
I also couldn't believe that anything that CHEAP could turn out looking so good.
Sometimes the Dollar Store frames are a fun challenge to see just how good you can make them look, or how to build a piece around them.
Thanks!

XXOO!!!
Anne

Mary Helen-Art Saves Lives said...

Anne this such a beautiful story/legend and your layers add another source in inspiration. I will have to search here to see if I can find the Triple think glaze rabbits are such generous little animal spirits...I feel them checking on me when I am out on the back deck. Imagine and Live in Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Mary Helen,

If you have a Hobby Lobby close, or probably Michaels, they will have Triple Thick Glaze. It is available both in a bottle the size of craft acrylics or in a jar. Try the small bottle first until you se if you like it. I always wet my brush first, squeeze it out till damp, then put in the glaze, as it will dry on a brush quickly.
I love rabbits---have a lot that live in the yard and south two acres! Mine are rather tame---they know they *own* the yard. ;)

XXOO!!!
Anne

yoborobo said...

Hi Anne! With the school year insanity, my morning coffee spent reading your blog post has flown right out the window - WOOSH!!! I'm now reading it before I jump up to make dinner. :)
I LOVE THIS PIECE. There, that will have to suffice until I get more time to oogle it. :) xox Pam

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Pam,

Perfectly acceptable, though I like the a.m. reading myself with coffee!!!! ;)
Thanks for the comments on this, and of course you can oogle as much as you want!!! No charge---LOL!!!!

XXOO!!!
Anne

Anonymous said...

Oh my, I knew bunnie fetish was good! This is a fantastical story and I love your artwork all the more for the story you shared. Isn't it fun how hearing or seeing something can inspire us into our own little creations? I love that excitement in living. Well done friend!! I hope you are all feeling better! Hugs. Tammy

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Tammy, I'm a buny person to begin with--the yard is full! I did have fun with the piece and am glad I got it done.
There are always those little niggly areas you *wish* were better, but hey, I'm getting older and the vision is not what it used to be so it looks FINE!!! LOL!!!
Felt good enough to go take a walk and shoot a bunch of nature shots this evening--sooooo nice!
Hope you are doing well!

XXOO!!
Anne

Anonymous said...

Oh my, Anne..you are inspiring us again..as always!
I love the use of the blues to cool down the warm color here..
Its unexpected..and thats what makes it work so well!...
thanks for being so generous with your tips on using materials we may not think of too...for one used to just painting on canvas with acrylics only...this is exciting.. i love rabbits too!...
gypsy

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Thanks! You know, I had that blue in there just because I wanted something to go with the moon....I love reading what you all think because you see things I don't, being too close to the work.
It was fun---it's fun to experiment!

XXOO!!!
Anne

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