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ursulav — Wicked Kitsune
Published: 2012-10-17 02:13:19 +0000 UTC; Views: 18766; Favourites: 1318; Downloads: 169
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Description
I’m just gonna throw this out—red foxes are freaky.You can scour the internet and find many many images of them being adorable, but the one time I met one in the wild and we stared at each other for a few minutes, it was not cute, it was not cuddly, and only a lunatic would try to scratch it behind the ears.
It was unexpectedly tall and incredibly thin. Its fur was not sleek, but stuck out in gouts and rags. It was shockingly orange. And it had the most alien eyes I have ever seen in a mammal. They were practically reptilian.
It was a beautiful animal, but it was not a pretty one. I could see why they filled the same mythological niche as fairies—as something arbitrary and dangerous and not necessarily well-inclined. But I sure as hell didn’t want to hug it. Actually, I took a step back and was suddenly glad of the sliding glass door between us. (And I love animals with the grim holding-them-while-they-flail-and-claw-and-pee-on-you love common to vet’s offices.)
So I set out to do a painting about how damn wicked foxes look, and I was almost there and Kevin came up behind me and said “Wile E. Coyote…SUPER GENIUS!”
Goddamnit.
8 x 16, mixed media.
Prints Available at Red Wombat Studio: [link]
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Comments: 85
Ah, a no-good nogitsune, yako or 'wild' fox. The other variation would be a zenko, 'good fox' or Inari fox -- the ones that guard the temples and act as messengers. My up-close and personal experience with live foxes has been restricted to meeting a young one (about seven months) in a pet carrier at an electronics flea market eight or ten years ago. The daughter of a vixen victim of a hit and run, she was adopted as a tiny kit, her eyes not open yet. She danced around and licked my hands through the gate of her pet carrier.
A coworker's brother kept a red fox as a pet for many years; she used to ride in his van in the 'navigator' position -- paws on the dashboard and peering through the windshield. I saw her running from the house to the van one day when I was at a tag sale in town. We have reds and grays living in the area; they like to tease my dogs through the wire fence.
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There are several nice, though creepy, jewelry pieces I've seen, made with taxidermy fox eyes.
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You may not think it but in my eyes you are lucky to have seen a fox in the wild, I have seen a Gray fox trotting away but I would love to experience what you experienced, That is so wicked!
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I'm so glad to find more art about foxes being foxes and not some cuddly domesticated dogs with fox fur!
I met wild red foxes a few times myself, except in their forests, and few times I saw one in my village. I agree that a red fox's eyes look spooky! Reptile eyes, like you said, describes it really well actually. Personally, I often called them feline-ish eyes. Red fox eyes captured my fascination so much I bought myself a couple of taxidermy fox eyes (made of glass), along with a few other animal eyes.
I think even with these cold blue color tones, you still captured the wild and haunting spirit of a fox that makes this animal so different from other canines. Also it's a kitsune! They're some of my fav fairy tale characters ever.
Anyway, I'm totally in love with this image, and the rest of your series is great too. But this is definitely my top fav! 
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Sorry, that was random
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I see foxed all the time in my area, and I don't think I've ever been scared of them. In fact, I've gotten pretty close before (not dumb enough to touch it or anything though). I just love their eyes...
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Awww! This is so adorable.... in a dastardly way. She looks like she could be The Saint of Soul Eating. I love the expression. Great work as always.
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Yep. Sleek, beautiful, but not pretty and definitely 'other'. I can just see him saying, 'Mwa-ha-ha!'
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Ursula, look up a red fox screaming on YouTube. You'll understand even further why foxes were relegated to either the brilliant and twisty brained spirit guide, or cruel minded and indeed, very much fairy like, and none of that Tinkerbell bullshit, I'm talking Sidhe and the Unseelie court.
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Man, I enjoyed looking at the picture as much as I enjoyed your story of encountering a red fox! Together it was pretty awesome!
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The look of menace is way too familiar for me, and this inspired me to make this: [link]
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Just got my print of this in the mail. It looks great!
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I wonder what season you saw it in? I've worked with red foxes, and as they go into their summer coats they do tend to get all patchy and pathetic. I agree on the eyes, though. They always look like they know something they shouldn't.
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I only have experience with grey foxes in the wild, and there were a good deal cuter in description. Though, of course, wild animals seem to like me in particular, so the closest I've been, one walked right by me and brushed up against my foot even before looking at me looking at in, then just continuing calmly along in the general direction of the rabbit paths. It has a nice winter coat that was decently clean and straight, and kinda short and chubby look to it as well.
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Reinecke Fuchs (Reynard the Fox) is a wicked trickster figure in the German folklore. He was always one of my favourites and imagined him just like you painted him.
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Maaaaaan, do I ever appreciate this. And your accompanying description is priceless.
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I live in what be the Fox equivalent of New York City, because I know a dozen, personally, that live around my house, and about a hundred more, less personally, around the city.
They're all individuals.
There's a nasty old bitch that lives in the culvert across the road who looks pretty much exactly like the one you met (plus a large hole in one ear and a dozen saggy tits), and seems to subsist on a diet of baby birds and bunnies, with the occasional dessert of stray kitten. Her name is Baba Yaga.
The one I see most frequently is a younger mother that has a peculiar taste for the large white mushrooms that grow in my yard, and consistently wears the expression of a young woman being hit on by a unattractive man. Her name is Velma.
Then there's the male that lives on the college campus who has grown to be nearly obese on a steady diet of obese squirrels, obese geese, and the nachos that the cafeteria staff leave out for him every night. He likes to sit on the library steps and survey the campus with the sort of bored malevolence of a Roman Emporer at a lackluster gladiatorial match. His name is Octavian.
I would not touch any of them.
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Oh! Your fox descriptions are amazing! I was surprised by how sad I was when I came to the end of your comment!
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I am making portraits of them special for you.
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Haha ... Love your stories as much as your pictures.
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The wild ones can be kind of creepy. HOWEVER - there is a red fox that lives in the woods along my usual trail riding route which I have seen playing with a dapple dachshund that lives in the house next to the woods. That was pretty cute.
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I prefer wicked foxes over cute n' friendly ones any day. They just have the perfect look and expression to be antagonistic. I love them. Great illustration!
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Charles de Lint has some interesting "fox" characters neither good or bad, but perhaps a little scary.
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That's so strange... I saw my first fox up close and personal a couple of days ago. It was around 2am and I was getting a drink of water from the bathroom when the back garden flood light came on. I assumed it was a cat or something, but when I looked out of the bathroom window there was this enormous dog fox standing on the lawn. Most gorgeous critter I've ever seen. I looked at him, and he looked at me, I said hello, and he just... walked off. I honestly wouldn't mind seeing him again, though, I find it very odd that a fox appears in my garden when I just recently brought home a rescue dog that looks very much like he might be at least part foxhound...
That aside, have I ever said that I just love the little stories you put up with your art? Because I do. And the art, of course, is so unique and... is whimsical the right word to use here? Anyway, your pieces always give me this sense of there being more to it, like they're just little windows into other, exciting worlds that leave me itching to explore. And I sort of want to visit Gearworld.
And this comment was sort of long and rambly, sorry 'bout that.
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That sounds like something I would do. The Kevin thing, I mean.
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I love this.
Everyone seems to view Kitsune and foxes as good creatures. Not in Korea.
"Gumiho" or "kumiho" are wicked little creatures that torment and kill people for their own gain and amusement. I like that better.
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Your story reminds me of this: [link]
Though I have to say, your picture is a little bit cute.
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One of these days I expect to read about either impending nuptuals or a police homicide report about you two. And the odds are about equal.
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Lovely piece. I find Tibetan sand foxes also beautifully odd.
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haha Great Story and nod I agree on all accounts
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love the creepy expression. and the story that goes with it.
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I once ran into a fox in the woods. And it just stared at me. There was maybe six feet between us and we made eye contact.
Then it made this gesture like "pff, whatever" and turned away.
I almost cried. I was terrified and freaked out about it for days.
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Bwahahahahahahahaha!
Well played, Kevin, well played.
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I have to agree about the sheer creepiness of foxes. well of course!
And this picture gets it just right. I feel as though it COULD be alright, but it's probably not a good idea to trust this fox, which of course makes it all the moe frightning and a super-effective picture
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