It's a Little Bear

I was doing little clay sculptures one night (when they're done I'll post them as well) and any time I went to do a bear...it started to look like something else instead.  And while that can happen with paint...I have more play room than with a chunk of clay that wants to be a badger or a frog.

And Bears! Oh My!

Branden has always had a kinship with Bear Medicine.  They're very intense creatures, no matter what type of bear you're talking about.  They're strong minded, bull headed, and fierce protectors of their home and cubs.  They're also humorous, intelligent, and resourceful.

Branden had this kind of sad presence when I'd show him all of the paintings I'd done so far, especially because there's so many that have totems of friends.  I had decided to spend a full day while he was at work to see if I could create a feather that he could really relate to...

I never realized how difficult it was to find a photo of a bear that didn't look like it was about to rip someone's face off...