The Easter weekend is coming up, starting with today, Easter Friday! Not a Christian myself and hence do not actively celebrate this holiday, I am well aware of, even somewhat fascinated by, the biblical story behind the rebirth of Jesus. As a child, though, I always associated this special event with bunnies and eggs. And it got me thinking, what is the connection? What do bunnies and eggs have to do with Jesus? Now considered more a marketing gimmick, they have actually been symbolic for centuries. Rabbits symbolize fertility and new life because of their high reproduction rate. And of course eggs are about reproduction. Both thus represent new life, hence resurrection, which is in turn associated with Jesus’ rebirth! Apparently, this connection arose in the 17th Century in Europe, eventually finding its way to the U.S. by German immigrants. So now I feel better informed and can comfortably pursue a cute painting of my Easter bunnies and eggs fully understanding the connection!
Pastel Pencil Sketch
With this theme in mind, I spent a day or two creating this painting using pastel-based mediums! Started with a rough sketch with Derwent’s pastel pencils. Pastel Mat by Belafonte, a wonderfully thick and almost card-board like paper, was selected for this painting. Love how the surface has good teeth to fully grip the pastel pigments. Mama bunny with her two baby bunnies. She is also holding a big egg, whilst her babies go for an Easter Egg hunt. How cute is that!
Pan Pastel Painting
For the coloring, I went for Pan Pastels which are a set of cake-like pastel pigments typically applied with a sponge. They are such a joy to work with as they are less dusty and hence less messy and are great for filling in large areas. Beginning with the background, I applied the Pan Pastel, being careful not to overlap the edges. Decided to introduce the crown on mama bunny just for fun. I love that the Pan Pastels come in metallic shades as well, including gold! Another beauty of this medium is its velvety texture and how reasonably evenly the pigments are spread. Once I was done with the Pan Pastels, I drew in the finer details like the eyelashes and baby bunnies’ eyes with pastel pencil. The pencil was also used to help close the gap between the colors the Pan Pastels couldn’t reach. And now!
Simple yet sweet painting of my Easter bunnies and eggs. I really should use this medium more often. The result is a rich velvety finish, and the colors are so strong and vivid. It is definitely something to choose for colorful lively paintings, and now that the warmer weather is approaching, it is a good time to get restarted. Yes, it’s a new beginning! And speaking of new beginnings: Apart from all the cuteness associated with Easter bunnies and eggs, it is also important to be aware of their connection with the more biblical version of this special holiday which focuses on the resurrection of Christ. Now I do wish you all a Happy Easter!
My Kawaii Quarter 