Bear

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Back in October, Eric told me about this website where, throughout the summer, you can watch the bears in Katmai National Park up in Alaska going about their lives - generally getting fatter and fatter and FATTER before they go into hibernation for the winter.

This was about the same time I began my first sketches for this series and (with Emily’s help) chose this word for Bear…

Rest.

I don’t know if I’ve ever made an artwork representing a bear before, as it’s just not an animal that has called to me in the past. However, as a person who really struggles to slow down, ESPECIALLY when it’s necessary, it just made sense. I mean, to sleep for a whole winter is some serious, concentrated, dedicated rest. I hugely respect that.

But back to the bear cams.

Because as I worked on this painting, what I kept thinking about was not the actual hibernating but rather how much effort Bear puts into PREPARING for rest. My epiphany was that it doesn’t just happen. She spends all summer eating everything she can and building those fat stores and finding a safe den. Then, when Jack Frost comes to call, she’s ready. The only thing left to do is bed down and sleep till spring.

How much easier would it be to rest if I planned ahead? If I made space for slowness, blocked out time (as regular as the seasons) for doing nothing at all? I reckon Bear has a whole lot more to teach me.
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Original watercolor painting (8X6) available in December - date and time TBD