Clement Hare adored Spring blooms. The scent intoxicated him and sent him into an ephemeral haze of bliss.
Some say this habit lead him down a strange path, this obsession of plants and flowers indoors.
In the height of Summer, surely most had cut flowers or a bloom or two in one's buttonhole, but even in the depth of Winter Clement dug and planted bulbs and twigs and cuttings of all sorts.
He'd prop them in the slivers of golden sun or stray bits of dying Winter light to capture it's power to grow his plants.
At Christmas one would be hard pressed to not thing they were down a garden path in July with the amount of bulbs and flowers and sprouting twigs blocking out his Christmas tree.
Village folk would often see Clement out in his blue sackcloth coat, always a flower in his buttonhole, going about his little front garden. If one stopped to say, check one's phone or compact as an excuse to linger, one would see Clement rustle about in the hedgerows or down on all fours in the shrubbery.
He was a very dedicated gardener to be sure, said his neighbor Mrs. Coleson. "Perhaps a bit TOO dedicated," She'd say, with a finger on her nose and a wink as if a stranger had a clue what she was on about.
For, you see, the oddest bit of Clement Hare was not his love of flowers, no. Nor was it very interesting that he was a bank clerk who spent almost all his small salary on bulbs and plants and anything green which might grow, one could forgive such things; in fact in the small village many felt it a down right asset.
No, what was Odd about Clement Hare was that his love of Plants and growing things meant once a month, as he was exceptionally intoxicated with some blooms, would transform into a Rabbit.
Clement Hare's love of the growing green earth had transcended the boundaries of his aging Bank Clerk's body and once a month one could chance upon a dun colored hare sitting in Clement's favorite chair, perhaps with his paper, or the old watch left by his father but Always with some green thing growing and flowering and his furry little nose burried in.
Yes Clement Hare was a curious thing: The Curious Clement Hare.
I hope you enjoyed my little story that went along with my sketch and watercolor.
It started out as a traditional sketch.
Then I scan it and bring up the contrast of the lines and and a bit more definition with digital pencil and marker.
Then I'll add a bit of digital watercolor (as before digital I often began paintings with sketches and then smears and drips of watercolor.)
Of course with the benefit of digital, I prefer a few layers.
And more done for my sketch.
And of course another joy of digital is the fun of playing about with colors after you've done it in your own original version.
A trippy moment in color that makes me think of Clement Hare beginning his transformation from boring bank clerk to adventurous rabbit.
I hope you enjoyed my little story and my art and I hope you get a moment in your day to indulge in your own passoins, be they drawing or like Clement, the love of growing things...just be careful you don't transform by that very same love.
If you'd like to support my work and it's 7 day's past voting on this post or you have no hive with which to vote, consider my 'by me a cuppa' tea tip jar, which can be found here.
If you'd like to follow my Work Here are some Links:
NFTshowroom
MAKERSPLACE
My Website
Instagram
Twitter
My 3Speak Channel