Tuesday, April 3, 2012

For My Little One



"For My Little One"
acrylic on birch panel
8 x 10 inches, oval
2012
SOLD

For my August 11th solo show, Talisman at San Francisco's Modern Eden Gallery



Progress shots:






Here's my latest painting, "For My Little One".
It's a piece that I've wanted to make for a while; since a horrific scene that I witnessed from my living room window last year.  It all happened so fast that I didn't even really know what happened at first.  I was sitting at my drawing table and heard a loud sound outside.  I looked out to see a hawk with something in it's claws and a squirrel chasing after him.  
Apparently the hawk had snatched up a baby squirrel from the power line from where the mother squirrel had it with her.  I screamed and pounded on the window at the hawk, hoping he would let it go, but it flew away before I could run outside.  
I could hear the mother squirrel crying from the tree for what seemed like days later.  
I know that this is just one of the many natural occurrences in the brutal reality that is nature, but it was so excruciating to see it happen; especially when I had seen the mom running around with the baby in it's mouth the day before.
So, I had been wanting to make a painting where the squirrel gets revenge on the hawk that took her little one and brings back his skull, and for it also to look like she's keeping a vigil or visiting the baby's grave.  
She's holding forget-me-nots, which obviously mean "Do not forget me!" and remembrance, and the hawk skull is flanked by peach roses, which symbolize immortality.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Have seen things like that, sometimes from my own cats. I wish predators had some kind of code, like some militaries do (whether or not it's always carried out) - LEAVE THE BABIES ALONE. Anyway it's such a puss move for a hawk, mighty hawk needs a defenseless baby? Shame on you, Mr. Hawk. I also hope to keep this on my wall for all time (dear gallery,don't let anyone get her before I call). I hope you never have to see anything like that again. XO, your newest collector