Bears, Bears, Bears

Grizzly at Atnarko River, Bella Coola, B.C. 6"x 9" watercolor

I said I was going to post another Barkerville painting the other night, and I had fully intended to, but I walked into my studio to discover my portrait of a little girl in period clothing obscured by pearlescent blue paint! My two year old, Rhiannon, had decided she really liked that little girl and wanted to add her own personal touch! It couldn't be salvaged, so I painted over it and will start again sometime...But in the meantime, I whipped off this little feller last night in a few hours. I've been wanting to do something different for a while. I think I just needed a breather from the same old subject matter and the same old medium, so instead of portraits in oils, I did wildlife in watercolor. I don't use watercolor very often, and don't really know the medium that well. I don't have a clue about technique, anyways, so I'm pretty happy about how he turned out. I think I'll make him into an art card for tourists.

Grizzlies in Bella Coola are kind of a big deal right now. They're done sleeping for the winter, and are out in full force. There are a lot of them around, as there is a limit to hunting, and we basically live right on their doorstep. We have about one attack a year, and this years' was just a few weeks ago, May 3, I think. It made the Vancouver paper. A B.C. hydro guy was out working, and a grizzly decided to use him as a play toy. It took off part of his scalp, and chewed on his arm, but he managed to get away and drive to safety, despite his serious injuries. He's okay now, and happy to be alive.