Anthropomorphic..... Market day in the Hollow.

         

          Anthropomorphic is the term used for bestowing  human traits onto  animals. It is most  common in storybooks, where Mr Toad recklessly drives his motorcar, in "The Wind in The Willows",  Rabbits fly kites in "Uncle Wiggly" and little mice sew the delicate threads on the Mayors coat in the "Tailor of Gloucester" .  I could go on and on and on.

  Of course we know, that in our imagination, anything is possible, and that in reality,tiny birds do not stitch your quilt while you are fast asleep... (or do they?) 

However, anyone who has spent any time with animals knows for a fact, that animals do indeed share human qualities. Animals exhibit, jealousy, faithfulness, bravery, selfishness, selflessness, love, anxiety, loneliness, generosity, sadness and joy. I am constantly amazed at the human-like antics and social order that goes on here at our farm. Take for example the chickens. A rooster can be very gallant. He finds a tasty tidbit on the ground, he picks it up, drops it, cackles to his wives, picks it up again and drops it, until one of  his lovelies comes to retrieve said tasty morsel, which he could have had all to himself. I call that a real gentleman! He jealously guards all his "women-folk" from any other suitors and will fight, to the death, to keep his family intact.

 Our Chinese goose, Fionna Goosefeathers, is very motherly, whenever a new waterfowl moves to our farm, she becomes instant Nanny, guiding the newbies to ponds and creeks, swimming with and caring for them until they are accustomed to the place. It is very endearing. 

Ducks are also quite interesting folk. Ducks form family groups and if anyone gets out of line, they are often shunned. It is one of the few things I dislike about ducks.  These "outcasts" are not allowed anywhere near the family  I have two such ducks, Lewis and Clark, who were booted out of their family group for reasons unknown to me, and I took pity on them. I had been looking for two little wives for them to call their own, for weeks and weeks. At last I found an ad with 2 female, Blue Swedish Ducks, looking for a home. Best of all, they lived just over the mountain from our farm...  Well, talk about ingratitude, it has been a full week and those little bachelor ducks will have nothing to do with the  "mail order-brides" from over the mountain. In fact THEY are shunning the females!  I think they re playing "hard to get", which is normally a female trait. 

Or am I, perhaps,  engaging  in Anthropomorphic fancies?

 Well, is it really any wonder? I have been painting  tiny anthropomorphic folk  for 14 days now... I think I am going bats!

 

There are 79 small characters in this illustration. Some are no bigger than 1/4 inch. And that doesn't even include all the teeeeeny tiny baskets, crocks, leaves, barrels, tortoise pies, etc, etc, etc. I paint under a magnifying light, but REALLY!

 The otter is quite tall at 1 inch!

 

   I am lucky I haven't gone  bonkers AND cross eyed!  Can you believe that miniaturists paint smaller than this ALL THE TIME?!

      It is an intentionally busy piece, full of color. But I  am afraid the colors on this blog are way OFF as I have a new camera who's settings I have not learned to use. I am nearly  finished with it this piece, Thank goodness!   Just a few more areas to paint, a little hat, a tiny apron and a wheel or two.

But no more pies!!! I think that tortoise has had enough already!

(The mousey milkmaid is 1 inch tall)

 This chipmunk is 1/2 inch.... which reminds me...

The next illustration has over 40 tiny squirrels and chippys!  That means I will have to thaw out the chipmunk again. And put on the TEA! This weeks tea is:

 and this weeks soup? Well, we got a bit tired of soup and decided to cook tacos today instead.
 One more picture of Miz Stickywig, I really love her! James says she is ugly.

 By the way, can you find Fionna Goosefeathers in these illustrations?? 

   There... all finished.
 Now it's time to paint 40 chips and squirrels.