Young Bear
© 1997 Ruary Allan
12" x 16"
oil on canvas

A sylvan fantasy inspired by a real life encounter. After an anxiety provoking incident (I left my van window down for hours in Sequoia National Park with valuables inside) I drove off, minutes later to have a baby bear tumble out the roadside vegetation and literally cartwheel across my path. This picture is a sort of thank you for these little moments of wonderment. Led to the space by a spirit bird, the viewer encounters various characters: the bear, a gun toting gnome, a bear trap crowned gremlin, a frog and an old tree-crone who along with the spirit guide are helping the tumbling bear past the trap Ther is also a humanoid butterfly who, untroubled by his seat in the trap, is simultaneously reading, juggling and playing with his yoyo.

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