31 Paintings in 31 Days - Day Thirty-One

"Things Are Not as They Seem" - watercolor, ink on paper, 9" x 12"

And on the last day of January and a month-long challenge, a rhino appears.

This guy has a mind of his own.  Though I wanted to "tangle" his whole body, every time I picked up the pen, I hesitated and dwelt instead on his strength and substance.  He let me put ink on the horns, but otherwise wanted to be left alone.  I found this curious.  The last creature to feel this way was the elephant ("Loxodonta", earlier this month).  I decided to respect his wishes and kept him simple.  

The color of his body is actually a watery pale green, which did not come through in the photo.  But he is pastel and lovely and STRONG!  I wondered what this rhino message was for me...

The rhino is symbolic of misguided perceptions.  This the title...things are not as they seem.  Rhino energy allows you to recognize truth with your spiritual eyes, rather than the physical ones.  A little bit of extra sensory perception comes with the rhino as an animal totem.

He stands for the obvious energies as well: confidence, steadiness, sure-footedness, substance, stamina, solidity and explosive power.  On this Super Bowl weekend, this makes me wonder....why don't any teams have a rhino as their mascot?

The rhino also demands we stop and give thanks for the abundance around us.  Now this is particularly interesting, since I just returned from a class at the gallery in which "abundance" was a prevalent theme, and one I felt focused on and quite thankful for.  Rhino energy was there.

He is an appropriate caboose for these 31 pieces, both for his size and his strength, and the fact that I feel truly thankful for the creative energy, bravery and passion which has flowed for 31 consecutive days.  I've been surrounded  by committed, courageous artists on the same journey - my art tribe!  

This piece is available.  Currently unframed.  Inquiries: imagination@gmail.com