Tuesday, January 17, 2012

aren't we all shapeshifters





A subtle houndstooth pattern behind, and delicate feathers underfoot, this fox is a meditation on, yet again, seeing things from both sides.  This was the first piece that I began for the Lone Pine Show, and I started it in early summer, in a time that was a bit of a kaleidoscope for me personally.  The fox had been in my sketches for a while, and when I finally started to dig deep into it's mythology, it just proved to be another little lesson.   Foxes symbolically carry a strong sense of intuition, of maneuvering in tricky situations, or being a bit of a trickster themselves.  They are adept at walking in between shadows, in order to observe what is really going on.   Trying to figure out the foxes relationship to it's environment (as well as the fact that there is a pile of feathers underfoot, now how did that happen?) was a great metaphor for taking a look at the featherbed I'd made for myself, and the mischief I sometimes distract myself with.  I mean, have you seen Wes Anderson's version of The Fantastic Mr. Fox?  Talk about distracting yourself with trouble...

It could also be said that on some levels, this is simply a portrait of Kelty.


She's pretty foxy.



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