“Curiosity”

My intention for this piece was to celebrate the connection of animals to their environment.

This painting is a tribute to spring in the Sea to Sky region, a season when fields of lupines bloom and baby black bears trail behind their mothers. The consistent use of purple throughout the piece symbolizes the cub’s deep connection to its vibrant habitat. The towering lupines surrounding the baby black bear evoke a sense of fragility and vulnerability during this first stage of life. 

The cub’s curious expression hints at its instinctual drive to explore and develop into the incredible mammal it will one day become. Bears are crucial to the health of the environment because they help maintain balanced ecosystems by controlling prey populations and dispersing seeds through their foraging activities.