"That weird long-eared Elf" The Hare - Ted Hughes
What is it about the hare that captures the imagination of so many artists, myself included?
The hare for me a is magical creature deeply connected to the earth and nature yet at the same time it has an ethereal quality about it.
Those eyes....
" Which fixed the mad beauty-light
In her look
As if her retina
Were a moon perpetually at full."
Excerpt from The Hare - Ted Hughes
I was lucky enough (after much early evening searching through the lanes in the surrounding area) last year to find an area with some hares and got some decent photos to work from. This beauty (below) sat and nibbled in front of me for a good twenty minutes or so before finally loping off - I was completely spell bound and felt incredibly honoured. Now that spring is almost upon us and the evenings will start to lighten I'm hoping to find them again and maybe even see some boxing if I'm lucky enough.
As for the question why am I and so many others obsessed with this amazing creature I could probably write a novel trying to answer it but I find it easier to explore my fascination in a visual way, which is why I'm always drawn back to hares whatever else I'm working on. They appeal to my soul.
