"Mr. Badger´s Burrow" by Christine Bennett

My husband posed for this picture, shovel and all, in our kitchen back in spring. I had a great idea - wouldn't it be funny to have an animal well known for burrowing, like the badger, using a shovel? This is the little story I made up for him:

"With babies on their way, the old burrow would be far too small. Mr. Badger scouted far and wide until he found the perfect spot on a grassy hillock, just underneath a large tree. Digging a burrow large enough for two adults and wee ones was not an easy feat though, as Mr. Badger brushes his brow. Despite getting all covered in dirt and dust, his effort will be well worth it."

He is a North American badger. I changed his facial markings slightly as I thought the natural markings would make him too mean.

I had numerous problems with the intial drawing. My husband is a tall man, but sufficiently round enough to make a good badger. I tried shortening the proportions, and got right to work. However, a poor choice of paper as well as the dimensions, caused me to abandon the original picture three quarters of the way through. Failure is the fertilizer for success!

PanPastels and Prismacolors on acid free cardstock, 7.5x10".