Work in Progress: Three Moon Gazing Hares

Back to one of my favorite motifs: the hare and the moon. This time with three times as much hare-i-ness action!.

For those who like to symbolism and folklore, the hare and the moon motif is an old one. In many cultures, hares are associated with the moon (we have the "man on the moon" in the West, whereas in many Eastern countries they have a "hare in the moon". )

In addition, there are a myriad of stories of how the hare ended up on the moon. I wont' get into them all here but if you do a google search on moon hare or hare in the moon, you'll see what I mean. The hare in these stories is usually associated with sacrifice. In addition, the moon gazing hare is another popular motif. Here, the rabbit or hare symbolizes fertility and spring (in modern times, this symbol has evolved into the Easter Bunny).

To play up that angle I put some stylized flower decorative elements in the background. Some of the flowers are moon flowers (which bloom at night) and others are a type of bloom that has a phallic shape to it (anthurium).

Three is a sacred number as it forms a triad as well as represents mind / body / spirit. For more background on the number three and its significance, here is a good article.

Some photos of the work in progress:

Three Moon Gazing Hares (work in progress)
18x24 inches
Ink / Acrylic / Watercolor on Mixed Media Board