Reasonable Foximilies: Reimagined Art by L.M. Gil. Inspired by Johannes Vermeer, Dutch painter (1632–1675).

Mittens, the Milkmaid

Mittens, assistant to Chef and Milkmaid Betty Beagle, had never been left alone with the milk before in the kitchen. Sure, Mittens worked with it many times, mixing into countless bread puddings, sauces and other treats. She even created her own recipes with milk without ever taking the slightest taste. But because Betty believed the stereotype that cats love milk, Mittens had always been supervised when baking with milk. Fortunately for Mittens, Betty was just fired for stealing old chicken bones and burying them in the backyard. And now it’s Mittens’ turn to be chef and milkmaid. She can now be trusted to be left alone with the milk. (Reasonable Foximilies: Reimagined Art by L.M. Gil.)

Peggy, a Peahen in a Red Hat

Peggy is sick of her show-off husband. It’s not just his loud squawks and his ability to juggle. It’s also his tail feathers, which he displays to anything that lays an egg. First, he showed them to the other peahens at church. Then he displayed them to the swans at the beauty parlor. And now he’s shown them to the young female raccoon who moved in just next door. She’s not even a bird! Well, two can play this game. Peggy’s had her eye on the handsome firefighter gander that lives across the street for about two weeks. And today’s the day she gets his attention. Today’s the day she wears the red hat. (Reasonable Foximilies: Reimagined Art by L.M. Gil.)

Dottie, a Dove With a Pearl Earring

Dottie has a secret: she’s not really a dove. Her name’s Paula, and she’s actually a common pigeon from the east side of town. Ever since she could remember, people would say “You’re such a beautiful dove.” The first few times she heard it, it infuriated her. “I’m not a dove. I’m a pigeon,” she would retort. Those who mistakenly called her a dove would smile sheepishly and apologize. But they wouldn’t remember. Eventually, she stopped correcting them when they called her a dove, and instead she would simply say, “Thank you.” One day Paula went to the mall with her best friend, Henrietta Hummingbird. A meerkat approached her. “What a pretty dove you are. Ever think of doing any modeling?” he said and gave her his card. “Fancy-Pants Modeling: For the Beauties in Nature,” it said. The following day Paula visited the meerkat’s office to register as a model. When they asked for her name, she immediately invented her modeling name. “Dottie. Dottie Dove’s my name,” replied Paula. A week later, Paula was hired and began her career as Dottie Dove, the prettiest model in town of Delft. The painting is the result of her first modeling job. (Reasonable Foximilies: Reimagined Art by L.M. Gil.)

Rebecca, a Rabbit in Blue Reading a Letter

Rebecca just received a letter from her husband. He left a few days ago to work as a temporary farm hand in a town two days away. In the letter, he tells her that he may not be able to earn as many carrots as he did last year. The dry weather has ruined some of the crops that were so successful the year before. Although their five little bunnies won’t go hungry, there will be fewer carrots on the table this season. As she reads the letter, she wonders how he will react to the news that they will soon have a new baby bunny at the table. (Reasonable Foximilies: Reimagined Art by L.M. Gil.)

Portrait of an American Beaver in a Wide-Brimmed Hat

Ben Beaver was the pillar of the financial community. His hard work in construction earned him quite a lot of money, which he promptly invested in other areas of the town: education, job production, support for the arts…but because he only provided the money behind the success of these areas, not everyone knew his name. And that irritated him. But one Sunday, right after the weekly church service, the mayor awarded him the “Friend of the Town Award” for his investments. Ben was completely surprised. As a token of the town’s appreciation for all Ben had done, his portrait was to be painted by Jackson Jackalope and hung in the town hall for all to see. And when the portrait was finished and hanging in the town hall, he felt grateful. Ben was finally recognized for all of his philanthropy. (Reasonable Foximilies: Reimagined Art by L.M. Gil.)

A Drake and a Young Hen With Her Hand Open

Ever since Hillary Hen could remember, her father micromanaged her life. He organized the day by the hour, and he made sure things ran like clockwork. They all were required to get up at the same time each morning. Meals were scheduled at the same time each day. Even recreation occurred at the same hour. Hillary felt powerless when she was a child. She wanted to do things on her own time. Once she grew up, she felt desperate to move out of her father’s house. So as soon as Daniel, her brother, joined the military and no longer needed his apartment, Hillary seized it. As she put her hand out to receive the keys to Daniel’s apartment, she imagined sleeping in late, maybe skipping lunch, and even eating dinner a few hours later than usual. With her hand held out, Hillary Hen finally felt in charge of her life. (Reasonable Foximilies: Reimagined Art by L.M. Gil.)

Portrait of a Young Mouse

Mary Mouse always helped others, but was never recognized for her good deeds. When she was a child, she always lent her pencils and crayons to others in need. When she grew up, she continued to be of assistance by sharing her meals at her home with the less fortunate. Everyone knew that if you didn’t have anywhere else to eat for lunch or dinner, Mary would be willing to share her dish with you. She was an excellent cook, and eventually her home was full with hungry visitors most nights, even when they had food at their home. “Mary’s food is always better,” they would say. Some suggested that she start charging for meals, but Mary refused to do so. She wanted to share her food with others, especially the poor, and felt that charging for her food stop the needy from visiting her home. Ben Beaver was impressed with her good deeds and decided to invest in her abilities. Together, they created an eatery that had a restaurant on one side and a soup kitchen on the other. He continued to be impressed with Mary’s good heart and asked her to be his wife. Once they were married, he had her portrait painted and hung it alongside his. She was also known as a great town philanthropist. (Reasonable Foximilies: Reimagined Art by L.M. Gil.)

Henrietta, a Hummingbird with a Water Jug

Spring is finally here, and Henrietta couldn’t be more excited. During this time leaves return to the trees, flowers begin to bloom, and tiny humans migrate northward in search of cooler weather. Their path takes them directly through Henrietta’s garden. There, they feast on the tiny fruits and vegetables Henrietta leaves for them on little plates atop long tables with very short legs. If they get tired and need a nap, the tiny humans can rest on miniature cushions with matching pillows and blankets. Henrietta has just finished filling the pint-sized cups and human baths that hang from the fence that enclose her garden. She goes back inside with the pitcher and stands at the window to wait for the humans’ return. (Reasonable Foximilies: Reimagined Art by L.M. Gil.)

Viola, a Vixen Reading a Letter at an Open Window

Viola received a special message today. It came in the form of a letter written by Jackson Jackalope, the community painter of special prestige. Each Tuesday at noon he would walk his most recent painting over to the local church for the community to see. And Viola would stand at the window precisely at every Tuesday at noon to see him as he passed by, taking his painting to the church. She wanted to tell him how much she admired him and his work. But she was too shy to do so. One day Viola decided to write Jackson a letter to tell him how much she liked his paintings. In her letter she asked questions, and she hoped for a reply. But he was too famous, she believed. He would not write her back. So when she received his letter, she carefully opened the envelope, pulled out the paper and took a breath. Viola smiled; he wrote her back. (Reasonable Foximilies: Reimagined Art by L.M. Gil.)

Roslyn, a Raccoon Holding a Balance

For Roslyn, stealing was never part of the plan. Sure, all of her family members are thieves, and everyone expected her to follow in the tradition. Roslyn, however, had always behaved lawfully. She never cheated on tests, always took only her portion of paper each day at the start of class, and went so far as to report any criminal behavior in the classroom directly to the teacher herself. She had no desire to take anything that was not hers. Unfortunately, things don’t always turn out the way we want, and when Roslyn’s husband suddenly left her for that high-class swan who ran the chocolate shop just outside of town, she had no other options. Of course, she tried to find a job anywhere she could. She applied at the grocery store, at the mall, even at “Farmhands R Us”, a company that sends workers to various farms throughout the community to help with the planting and harvesting. But no one would hire a pregnant raccoon with notorious family members. Quickly running out of cash, food and shelter, she had no other choice. Roslyn swiftly and silently swiped several coins and a necklace from Mary Mouse’s home one evening during her free meal. “She’s rich. She’ll never notice the difference,” Roslyn said to herself as she shoved the items into the inside pocket of her blue jacket. And when she weighed the coins to learn of their true value, she wondered to herself if her need outweighed an action that broke the law. (Reasonable Foximilies: Reimagined Art by L.M. Gil.)