Inversion: Phase II The Spirit Bear

In this Phase II: Inversion: Spirit Bear Paintings, I explore the Spirit Bear and the Great Bear Rainforest. 

Still looking at our footprint on the environment and sometimes the ever-changing and developing geopolitical landscape we have in Canada, Phase II focuses on the Spirit Bear and how I, a white 2nd generation Canadian and an Ontario resident, along with other Ontarians, leave an indelible mark on the West Coast Landscape and the inhabitants of those areas. We do this just by living as we do here in Ontario.

This exploration came about after seeing the film, The Great Bear Rainforest, narrated by Ryan Reynolds. Of course, I was smitten—as I’m sure most viewers are! I was excited, frustrated, I felt guilty, concerned, confused. How had I never learned about the Great Bear Rainforest and why had I never heard of the Kermode bear, aka Ursus americanus kermodei, aka Spirit Bear? Had I been living under a rock for decades? I began to explore the idea of what I do all the way over here in Ontario that has an effect on the Spirit Bear. And of course, i discovered energy. It’s always energy!

For this series, I have begun a few smaller canvases of the Spirit Bear in it’s environment in the Great Bear Rainforest, mostly as studies, and also as jumping-off points to then develop digitally. I take a pic of the beginning canvas work, then rework on my iPad in Procreate.  Once I work out the kinks I go back to working on the canvas.  The iPad being soooo much more forgiving than oil paint!