Equinox Equinox Barbie Harrison 10 
http://auction.thebigegghunt.co.uk/lots/equinox-by-barbie-harrison
About the Egg
Barbie Harrison has worked as an illustrator and decorator of children’s furniture for many years. She is used to painting on any surface, even having painted on eggs before, although never on one as big as this! More recently Barbie has begun to exhibit small paintings on reclaimed wood, using oil, enamel and gold leaf – her own personal icons – and using images of birds, flowers, animals and trees.
Barbie lives in rural East Sussex and takes her inspiration from the natural world. Here’s what the artist has to say about the design’s conception:
“When I heard about the Big Egg Hunt I researched Easter myths – one of the recurring and universal ones being the Easter Hare (and coincidentally I often use an image of the hare in my paintings). In past times it was thought that the hare laid eggs – in fact we now know that this came about by the habit of lapwings laying their eggs in the “form” or scrape in the ground that the hare uses as a resting place – hence the plover image.
“Hares are also associated with the spring and the moon, thus prompting me to conceive the design. On one side we see the hare at the cusp of winter – the autumn equinox- apprehensively looking up at an owl, and opposite, the spring equinox – a hare leaping over the sun , with associated images of flowers and swallows and the optimism they symbolize.
“Look carefully at the line of trees in the half-light and you will see the tiny silhouette of a running hound – a tribute to our wonderful old lurcher who died last year.” Barbie has painted furniture designs for children for many years, and wanted the imagery to be accessible to young people.
