Painting what is in front of us

What makes a good subject for a painting.

When I started to paint, I was always at a loss for subject matter. There was of course the limitations set by my technical skills (How to paint shadows? How to paint a tree without painting every single leaf? How to paint a glass vase? etc.) but I was also haunted by this idea that subject matter was important in and of itself.

I learned with time that when people look at a painting, they might see a lot of things that the painter wasn't aware of (and conversely, completely miss all the subtleties the painter painstakingly incorporated in their work!).

But that realization didn't make it easier for me to decide what to paint.

Again, learning about the work of David Hockney came to my rescue. Hockney paints his life. He paints his friends, his house, his pets, his family, his commute... And it still resonates with a lot of people (enough at least to make him one of the most celebrated painters of the 20th century).

When I saw this picture of Hockney with his sweet dogs and their portraits, it brought a smile to my face. I don't particularly like the paintings and the colour palette he chose, but that is irrelevant. What this series did to me as an artist is give me freedom and faith that if it matters to me, it will matter to someone else.

Dog Days paintings by David Hockney — David Hockney with his beloved dachshunds which he painted in the mid-1990's to document joy and beauty in simple moments. He had recently lost many friends to AIDS and heart disease and this series helped him cope with his grief. One funny anecdote about this work is that Hockney had to put pen and paper all over the house, because whenever he wanted to sketch his dogs and got up to fetch his materials they would immediately rise up and follow him.

So, for my January 2026 exhibit at The Old School House in Qualicum Beach entitled "What Would Hockney Do" I decided to paint a series of bunnies.

I don't have pets, but if you live in Qualicum Beach like me, you will encounter rabbits almost daily in all parts of town. They come in multiple shades and patterns and are both loved for their inherent cuteness and reviled for the ravages they make in everyone's planters.

This is the first rabbit I painted.