New year, new painting! That’s what I wrote on instagram when I began this piece…now a million hours later we have come to its conclusion 
I like this painting, it has all the hope and sentiment of the new year while also having a darker undertone running throughout. That’s life though isn’t it – you can say you can begin anew when the clock rings 12 but really…how much do we leave behind and how much carries on with us?
I first was very drawn to the Scandinavian design of the sweater my model is wearing. It was a gift to me from my husband and supremely beautiful. It made me think about the culture I live in now and which I have in many ways adopted. The history here is rich… I have fallen in love with the landscapes of my new homeland and also wanted to explore more of the traditional items/designs that can be found here.
But of course there is always an emotional component to all of my paintings. This one does not fail in that department either. I was tired. Tired of past tendencies and patterns. Situations I had gotten myself into and feelings that kept repeating. I imagined this painting almost being a clean slate but as I mentioned, it never really works that way.
I love how field hares actually box each other in nature. Well, love the imagery of it! It feels like how my insides are sometimes. Battling each other for dominance? Justice? To be heard? Meanwhile our lovely lady sits with her honey, which my instagram friends kindly reminded me means a plethora of amazing things. From healing, hope, immortality… it’s what we are all striving for. Happiness. While our insides battle it out, we hope that battle leads us to our ultimate goal. A good life.
I also love how rabbits are associated with the moon! I felt pulled to include both in this painting. There are many mythological references of these two together… I will let you insert your own feelings into this and will leave this blog post here. Happy 2022, a month and a half late 
May we all drink the healing hope of the new year and new times ahead, after many hard ones behind us… wishing you all the very best!
This painting is available <3 65 x 85 cm – oil on Belgian linen