"I would rather sit on a pumpkin
and have it all to myself,
than to be crowded on a velvet cushion...."
~Henry David Thoreau
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| 7.5 x 9.5, "Thoreau, Pumpkin Sitter", painted in oils for Oct's Nibblefest Art Contest |
Several months have come and gone since I last entered the Nibblefest Art Contest. I never intentionally blow it off, and for so long -- but often time does just get the best of me, as it did this long (though it actually seemed so short!) and mega-busy summer. No matter, it's always there for me to come back to whenever I can...., which I finally did this month with its "Pumpkins" theme. What better way to celebrate 'Pumpkins' than with these wise words by the venerable Mr. Henry David Thoreau? As a person who tries to practice Voluntary Simplicity whenever I can in my own life, I can so relate to this quote. Thus we have here my little personal homage, as always painted in loving (if slightly irreverent) tribute:
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| Side View |
I had the perfect plaque for this, one that I dug deep out of storage -- an aged one, of slightly weathered wood. I had to scrape off some faded, generic print that was hopelessly stuck to it, sanding it down to a smooth finish. The slightly rough condition seemed most fitting for this project -- I wanted a folksy feel -- plus in the spirit of Simplicity I tried to use minimal paint and really let the grain show through....
Longtime readers might recall this portrait I painted from a few years back, for Nibblefest's "Forest Creatures" theme in August of 2014:
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| Portrait of H.D.Thoreau, August 2014 |
It's been nearly exactly two years since that one so I figured the time was nigh for another visit to that fascinating face.
So much expression in those expansive eyes....:
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| Mr. Henry David Thoreau |
RIP, Mr. Henry D.
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| "Thoreau, Pumpkin Sitter" |
UPDATE~UPDATE:
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| Third Place Tie |
My Thoreau tribute tied for Third Place in this month's Nibblefest Art Contest!
A big shout out of thanks to all my lovely bidders....!
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