Wednesday 4 February 2015

Dirty Harry


Meet Harry the Hare.




The first time you saw him, he was sewn but still, flat and lifeless, waiting for me to fill him with puffy soft clouds.

As I padded him, bit by fluffy bit, he came alive in my hands.

His long ears were wired, coloured and jauntily placed.
I used warm wooden buttons for his moveable joints.
And, I gave him a soft little cotton tail.

At 97cms (38 inches) from toes to tips of his ears, he sat comfortably upon my knee as I sewed for him a final flourish of fluttery lashes.
His character was complete.

Or, so I thought.

Late one night, while I slept, Harry snuck outside.

In the morning, I awoke to find him sitting on my studio table - just as I’d left him the night before.
But, as I entered the room, I gasped at his appearance.
He stared at me, as I stared at him - damp, dishevelled, dirty and... defiant.
“Well, haven’t you had quite the time, good sir”.

By the look of him, he’d traipsed through muddy puddles as he explored the big wide world of tall, tall trees and thick forest floor under the cover of darkness.
Creatures of the night must have looked upon this strange and unusual being with their large, round eyes wide in wonder, and suspicion, as he passed them by.

He'd nearly got the stuffing knocked out of him - from racing past sharp brambles, tumbling over slippery logs and sliding down mossy banks, no doubt.
I had to hurriedly stitch his torn seams and patch him up to make him better again.

And he is.

Although now, I think he has an air of shabby worldliness that he didn’t have before, with his ever so distressed countenance and a kind of knowing in his eyes.

Seeing as Harry is a curious hare - and to discourage him from wandering about on his own - I’ve decided that, if he behaves, he can come out with us sometimes.

So, keep a lookout for him - you never know when he’ll appear in photos on future posts...





25 comments:

  1. What life he has, he looks like he could almost speak. Wonder what he would say?! maybe tell you about his adventure:)

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    1. By the glint in his eye, I think he has a secret or two already.
      I'm pretty sure he's very eager to get outside and explore again.
      He's a very determined hare :)

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  2. LOVING Harry. And of course he headed off for adventures. That is what (the very best) hares do.

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    1. It is indeed. Although, I didn't expect him to set off as soon as he did :)

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  3. I love Harry! I think his adventures, should he escape on his own again, might be a bit safer now, as obviously the creatures of the night know that Harry can hold his own in any battle. He looks like he has a good many interesting tales to tell, if he were so inclined.

    Vicki, you are a marvelously multi-talented woman!

    Blessings,

    Victoria

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    1. Thank you, Victoria xx

      I think Harry will enjoy his future explorations and will have many, many stories to tell... or he may decide to keep many secrets, who knows, he certainly is an independent hare.
      Soon, he'll have other hares, foxes, owls and crows to watch over, as my studio supervisor, and will keep a close eye on my new creations, I'm sure.
      Harry will be my "stall companion" on market days too :)

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  4. If you could see my face right now...I fell in love immediately. He's so very cute, handsome too.
    If I didn't have to buy groceries, I commission one just like him!
    Looking forward to seeing him in future posts.

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    1. I'm so pleased you like him, River.
      Harry certainly is quite the character. And is the perfect size to carry and cuddle - although, he prefers to sit up high and watch over everyone as they go about their day.
      We certainly got quite a few glances from people on our afternoon in the park taking photos :)
      Keep an eye out for him. It'll be like "Where's Wally".

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  5. oh gracious, but he is precious!!!! mmmmmm.... betcha' he would _not_ appreciate being called "precious" though! ok, he is quite majestic looking! yes, that's the proper word, for him!!!! ,-)

    and if I remember correctly, he was an experiment, when you began to "make" him.... well, what a fantastic experiment, he turned out to be.

    gentle hugs,
    Tessa~

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    1. Whatever we choose to call him, he certainly has character, in spades.
      I think Harry "knew" how he wanted to turn out like, he just needed a little stitch here and a little tweak there from me :)

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  6. OT but.... thank you so much, for appreciating the Joseph Campbell quote, I used.... at the end of this post.

    it's message is a bit-far-out of the comfort zone, of many of my (few) readers. and I wondered if I would ruffle-any-feathers.... not in comments but.... well.... lose readers, perhaps? but I published it!

    and am very happy to find that at least one of the readers, appreciated it. again thank you.

    Tessa~

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    1. Well, I really loved the quote when I read it, Tessa.
      And, I feel quite comfortable indeed with his thoughts on the matter.
      Very glad you published it :)

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  7. i'm as enchanted as if i were hit up the side of the head with a magic wand!
    a wand that is harry.
    he's elegant.
    and he's
    well.
    he has a spirit!
    of adventure.
    and he has a sense of humor.
    and i CAN'T WAIT to see him again... on his next adventure!
    i'm just grinning here.
    ear to ear.
    harry the hare.
    i think you're simply brilliant!!!!
    XOXOXOXOX♥

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    1. Oh yes, you're right there, Tam, he certainly has a sense of humour, a twinkle in his eyes and a great sense of mischief too :D
      I'm sure it won't be long before his next adventure - he won't stay in one place for too long, he's got itchy feet now that he's, "in the world".

      Grinning along with you...
      xxxx

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  8. Hmm, my comment isn't here.
    Must have vanished out into blogspace.
    Oh well, I'll try again.

    WOW!
    I LOVE LOVE LOVE Harry!
    I was wondering what he'd become and I'm over the moon with his emergence!
    He's not some fair floppy ruffled bunny but a rough and rumble RABBIT!
    How cool is that!
    I used to make cats, dogs, dolls and things, mostly for my nieces, they were painted and I'd dump coffee on them and on one black cat I even rubbed cinnamon on him. I didn't want them all "new" but rather full of stories and
    WHOA! It's obvious that Harry is full of "tales"!
    He's Fabulous. Simply Fabulous and I'm excited to see who else will show up to join his gang.
    You never cease to amaze me!
    Bravo.

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    1. Thank you Cindi!
      I'd love to see your past and future art dolls. Look at us in 2015... go girls!! There's no stopping us now. Discussions and brainstorming of creating over coffee and Kahlua would be awesome! :D

      Harry is certainly full of secretive tales - I have a sneaking suspicion that he has already had another little sortie on his own. Perhaps he's an undercover agent, like a film noir detective, he has a certain look about him...
      I think he has many talents, yet to be unearthed.
      Oh, and, I think he'd be a little dismissive of being called a rabbit, lol. I'm pretty sure sure he thinks rabbits are cute, cuddly and generally amenable. Whereas he considers himself wild, un-tameable and very independent.
      Hmmm, I think I have my hands full :D
      But, we get along just fine in eachother's company, so, he is a very good studio companion.

      ***
      Not sure why your previous comment disappeared, Cindi. My computer was really playing up yesterday and shut down on me, so perhaps you hit send at the same time as my computer decided to, "go to lunch".
      I'm glad you re-sent your comment :)
      xxx

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  9. oh, Vicki... this lil' man is GORGEOUS!! What a beauty he is... you've really done well in creating him. He looks a 100 years old already--such nice "patina". LOVE his story... Can't wait to see him sneaked into posts ahead--haha... sweet! Hope you'll be adding more to your created-critter collection soon too! Wonderful work, my friend--HUGELY impressed! ((HUGS))

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    1. Thank you Tracy! And, I've so enjoyed seeing your beautiful new textural artwork too.
      There's a universal creative buzz in the air for all of us artists in the world, I feel.
      Harry is a big inspiration and is keeping me company in my studio, alongside my muse :)
      More creatures will be visiting soon...
      xxx

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  10. Just had to drop you a line.
    I had a really sucky day (week) at work and it just seemed to come to a head last night
    and I was so upset.
    I felt so down and then I heard a voice in my head and while I don't even know what you sound like
    I am sure that it was you!
    You told me to consider the source and don't waste time or thoughts on those types of people
    and to get back to working on my ART!
    so, here I am, just dropping in to say "THANK YOU!"
    (and you kinda sounded like Nicole Kidman! LOL!)
    xo - Cindi

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    1. Haha, Nicole - my voice isn't like hers, certainly not as, um, "cultivated", but it is a "true blue" Aussie accent :)

      I'm very sorry that you had a sucky week. But, I'm glad there is a little voice in the back of your mind at such times, prompting you on to do what you love... and are good at.
      I do think of how you are going, so maybe, the fine ephemeral threads of artistic support were cast your way at just the right time....
      Transition and starting a new venture is always difficult. And it can be easy to backslide. Believe me, I know...
      But, there is strength within. The resource is there. Sometimes hidden, but it's there.

      So yes, don't waste precious energy sapping time of those who don't deserve it. You're much better than that, Cindi.
      Your very own internal muse believes so too. She who pokes and prods you in the middle of the night with sparks of creative inspiration.

      BTW, I would be very happy to exchange emails, so that if you ever need to "talk", we can exchange thoughts, ideas, inspirations, questions, arty tips/tricks, moans, groans, grunts about work or anything else - 'twould be good for both of us I think :)
      Please know that I'm just a click away...

      Hugs xxx

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  11. Hahaha! SO looking forward to the adventures of Harry! But I wonder is he up to a crocodile cruise, or climbing Mt Kosciuszko?!?!?! It's a bit of a worry when those inanimate objects get a life :D

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    1. He's quite the adventurer, but, I doubt his wanderings would extend to taking his chances in croc-country.
      I think Harry will be very content with viewing huge hare-eating crocodiles on your fabulous blog :D

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    2. Haha, a hare would be but a mouthful for a man-sized croc - so he might actually be safe!!!

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  12. Just learned of the cyclones hitting Australia!
    Hoping and praying that you and yours are OK.
    Stay safe my friend!
    xoxoxo

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    1. Thank you for your kind thoughts, Cindi, I so appreciate it.
      These fierce cyclones have hit way up north in Queensland and Northern Territory - many miles away.
      Destructive and frightening.

      We often have aftermath thunderstorms and/or rain as a result of cyclone activity. But, not the extreme damage that cyclonic storms unleash up there.
      They have been downgraded now, but there is so much damage.
      My heart goes out to those who've been affected, and to the domestic and wild animals who have suffered.

      Thanks again dear Cindi xxx

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