Watchful Repose – Black Bear
(scroll down for description)
20” x 25”, oil, 1980
Black bears have a mixed relationship with humans. To our eyes, they are alternately dangerous, lovable and a nuisance. To their eyes, we are to be feared, ignored or exploited.

I have placed this bear in a benign mood resting under the shelter of a pine. They are not very active during sunny part of the day, but this one has chosen the top of a rocky cliff so that he can glance around in case anything interesting happens. These rocks are part of the pre-Cambrian shield and are a particular place I have known since childhood. I enjoyed the interplay of geological texture, dappled sun and shadow.