A Rodent of Unusual Size

"Country Mouse" Oil, 2.25"x3.25"
©2013 Diana Moses Botkin

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Yesterday I posted paintings for our May Challenge and promised to tell you why I picked the subject I did. If you've been following along, you know that month by month, each member of our group takes turns choosing what we will paint.

This month was my turn to name our subject. A little mouse inspired my choice. My son found this small fry out in the yard, just sitting there. I'm guessing the cats may have injured him. Perhaps he decided to play dead so the felines would leave him alone.

Whatever the case, we put him in a terrarium with a snack and a little water so I could study him awhile. The first sketch was an attempt to capture his visage while he was moving around in the glass box, which was quite a challenge. I painted this second sketch later as he appeared to be sleeping. Alas, he was likely expiring, as he did not move at all the next morning.

"No Cat Nap" Oil, 4"x5"©2013 Diana Moses Botkin 

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However, he was still a very useful model and was very cooperative as I posed him with the cracker I'd left for him in the terrarium.

"Mouse Hunt" Oil, 4"x6"
©2013 Diana Moses Botkin

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I felt quite sorry for this cute little fellow, as he appeared to not be very old.

Which is very silly because my motto is usually "Death to all Rodents". They have wreaked havoc in my home and garage on a number of occasions and are filthy creatures who have no respect for personal property. I do have mixed feelings about them, however. My husband and I had a couple of little field mice we kept as pets when we were first married. The varmits escaped from the little glass home we made for them after we had them awhile. Once when we were gone on a trip they managed to get out.

After our return, I found evidence of their squalid living conditions in the drawer of my oven which they had used as a latrine, and where they had started a little nest of torn up trash they had rummaged.

My cats earn their keep by decimating the mice, voles, moles, and other members of the rodent population here on the farm. I always praise my feline friends when they bring the results of their hunts to my doorstep to share with me. I just have to be careful when I step out of doors in the morning.