This Painting is the first in my Series entitled “Magnificent Animals of the Superior National Forest”. The focal point, of course, is the expression on the bears face and the contentment he feels as he sits in his blueberry patch. The bear appears to be thinking about something. Is a hiker approaching? Is there a beehive in the vicinity? I really think that this bear is just daydreaming.

It started innocently enough. My wife seeing that I had begun painting again after not having picked up a paint brush in over 7 years, asked me to paint a Black bear for her, as she absolutely loves them. As the painting progressed I realized that it was very special. When I finished I knew that I was doing the best painting of my life. It has served as an inspiration for me to achieve my goal of once again painting fulltime. This painting portrays the forest as a place of peace, a sanctuary. It also reflects my inner peace and joy as I worked on it. I take pride in accurately portraying the geology and plant species of the Superior National Forest.