Last year, I was invited along with 24 other regional
artists to participate in an exciting fundraiser for the Vacaville Museum
located in the historic downtown area of Vacaville, CA.
The fundraiser, "We Know Jack," was comprised of 25 fiberglass rabbits to be
decorated, painted and altered by this group of artists. The completed rabbits, a public art project, are to be auctioned off in June, with proceeds benefiting the museum.
When I first brought my blank rabbit home last July, it sat on a table
in my studio for a while. I was a bit intimidated by its curves and dimension.
Once I had my idea, I began to create the additions of the hat and beard. This
was a lot of work because I needed to use special materials that were recommended
to adhere to the fiberglass.
I work with wet clay in my studio on a regular basis, but
this Epoxy Putty and Bondo were nothing like clay. It was a struggle and my
hands ached a bit. I got the additions completed and then the real fun began. I
painted and painted and painted the rabbit’s body. It wasn’t that large of a
piece, but it was larger than anything I had done in the past. I didn’t like how
some of the colors for the body were turning out, so I painted again. Layers of
color, fabric and details were added until I felt my rabbit was ready for prime
time.
My rabbit’s sponsor, Sweet Peas Pet Supply, also in Vacaville, was happy with the finished piece and is placed on display until June.
It will be interesting to see who ends up with my rabbit
after the final auction. This is has been a positive experience that pushed my
creativeness in other directions. I may not have known "jack" at the beginning of this project, but I learned many things along the path to completion.
