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deceptively simple
ASK THE

artsperts www.harmonmeek.com

by Kristine Meek and Juliana Meek 599 NINTH STREET, NORTH, SUITE 309 | NAPLES, FL 34102 | 239.261.2637

Dear Artsperts, Hunt Slonem’s rabbit/bunny paintings have become iconic

Why all the rabbits? and recognizable globally. Just follow #huntslonembunnies
Signed, or #huntslonembunnywall on social media to find out how
Hopping to Know widespread the trend has become.
The bunny walls we annually create in our gallery and that
some collectors build in their own homes are largely made up of
Dear Hopping, 10” x 8” paintings on panel with antique frames housing one lone
rabbit/bunny portrait. These small bunny paintings are Slonem’s
People often ask us “why bunnies” or “why rabbits” when they
th
first look at Hunt Slonem’s bunny wall in our gallery at 382 12 warm up paintings. A creature of habit and routine, Hunt Slonem
enjoys starting each workday with a cup of coffee in one hand and
Ave S in Naples. The answer is really “why not”. Harmon-Meek
his paintbrush in the other standing before his specialized 6-foot
Gallery has represented Hunt Slonem since the early 1990s and
easel with rows on top of rows of precut 10”x 8” panel ready for
we have seen him paint dozens of animal species – including the
their layers of paint or the final bunny outline or their whiskers
birds and butterfly/moth species perhaps hundreds.
But if you ask us right now, what is the most quintessential to be pulled through the tacky paint. Due to the nature of his
medium and his technique, Slonem has dozens of paintings at
Hunt Slonem subject we would have to say bunnies/rabbits.
various stages of completion at any given time.
But back to why bunnies/rabbits: an artist’s inspiration can
come from anywhere even the menu at a Chinese restaurant where
Hunt Slonem discovered he was born in the year of the rabbit. In
the Chinese Zodiac the rabbit represents hope and long life. Each
rabbit Slonem creates has a different personality expressed through
its eyes, whiskers (if present), position of its head, and the pose of
its ears.
Slonem has always enjoyed exploring the notion that more
is more. Slonem likes repeating images in a work, whether
it is multiple birds, butterflies, flowers, monkey faces, orbs or
rabbits. Hunt Slonem will repeat an idea in every medium and
composition until he has satiated his artistic need to express that
image.
This year, during our annual studio visit to hand select works
for our gallery exhibition, Hunt surprised us with revisiting some
of the older subjects he had on hiatus for years. That’s why this
exhibition is more than just rabbits/bunnies. We have selected for
you the works we liked the best in his studio and have a collection
of bayous, birds, butterflies, and really fabulous portraits this year.
Sincerely,
The Artsperts

The Bunny Wall of Hunt Slonem Rabbits
on display at Harmon-Meek Gallery.

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