** Selected as a FINALIST in the Artists Network's Strokes of Genius 18: The Best of Drawing art competition by awards juror, Annie Murphy Robinson. Will be published in a special issue of Artists Magazine titled The Best of Drawing set to hit newsstands in December 2026. AND... included in a sneak preview article of "The Best of Drawing" special publication for an issue of Pastel Journal.
**Accepted: Pastel Artists.CA 36th Purely Pastel Open Juried ExhibitionMay 28- June 6, 2026
***A portion from the sale of this painting will be donated to MARS Wildlife Rescue in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island. BC, Canada.
This pastel painting captures a moment of playful intimacy, referenced from a photo I took of a Kodiak bear at a wildlife park. I watched this massive Alaskan titan cool off, fascinated by its interaction with a younger Kodiak bear who was also in the water, sassily testing its limits with the older bear.
In the studio, I focused the composition on a single bear, its head rising just above the surface on a bright, sunny day. Painted directly on top of yellow Pastelmat using a palette of muddy tones and earthy colours, the soft pastel textures translate the energy of the moment—contrasting the bear's heavy profile with the rough, wavy water whipped up by their splashing. The piece offers a warm, dynamic look at a powerful, unique subspecies.
Fun Fact: Kodiak bears are a unique subspecies of large brown bear found native to the Kodiak Archipelago in Alaska.
From bear.org: Kodiak bears (Ursus arctos middendorffi) live on Kodiak Island or one of the nearby islands off the coast of southwestern Alaska. These bears can be nearly as large as polar bears (Ursus maritimus) and include the largest brown bears (Ursus arctos) on record. Sixteen of the twenty largest brown bears killed by hunters have come from the Kodiak Archipelago.
A large male can stand over 10 feet tall on his hind legs and 5 feet on all fours. A weight of 1,648 pounds was listed for one male in the Journal of Mammalogy. Females are about 20 percent smaller and 30 percent lighter than males.
Brown bears, which include Kodiak bears, live in Europe, Asia, and North America. The 3 subspecies of brown bear that live in North America are Kodiak bears, coastal brown bears (Ursus arctos gyas), and grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis).
Framed.
**Accepted: Pastel Artists.CA 36th Purely Pastel Open Juried Exhibition May 28- June 6, 2026
***A portion from the sale of this painting will be donated to MARS Wildlife Rescue in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island. BC, Canada.
This pastel painting captures a moment of playful intimacy, referenced from a photo I took of a Kodiak bear at a wildlife park. I watched this massive Alaskan titan cool off, fascinated by its interaction with a younger Kodiak bear who was also in the water, sassily testing its limits with the older bear.
In the studio, I focused the composition on a single bear, its head rising just above the surface on a bright, sunny day. Painted directly on top of yellow Pastelmat using a palette of muddy tones and earthy colours, the soft pastel textures translate the energy of the moment—contrasting the bear's heavy profile with the rough, wavy water whipped up by their splashing. The piece offers a warm, dynamic look at a powerful, unique subspecies.
Fun Fact: Kodiak bears are a unique subspecies of large brown bear found native to the Kodiak Archipelago in Alaska.
From bear.org:
Kodiak bears (Ursus arctos middendorffi) live on Kodiak Island or one of the nearby islands off the coast of southwestern Alaska. These bears can be nearly as large as polar bears (Ursus maritimus) and include the largest brown bears (Ursus arctos) on record. Sixteen of the twenty largest brown bears killed by hunters have come from the Kodiak Archipelago.
A large male can stand over 10 feet tall on his hind legs and 5 feet on all fours. A weight of 1,648 pounds was listed for one male in the Journal of Mammalogy. Females are about 20 percent smaller and 30 percent lighter than males.
Brown bears, which include Kodiak bears, live in Europe, Asia, and North America. The 3 subspecies of brown bear that live in North America are Kodiak bears, coastal brown bears (Ursus arctos gyas), and grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis).