The Polar Bear

 The polar bear is a solitary animal. She cares for her cubs, but don't get in her way. I started this painting about the same time my mom was diagnosed with late stage cancer. She had a small collection of teddy bears that she collected in the 80's and 90's that were sitting on the oak shelves in her home. She was much like a bear in personality; solitary, a protective mother, and don't you dare cross her.

She passed away on the full moon, November 4th, 2025. I finished this painting, but my grief was heavy on my ability to focus. I don't feel this is one of my better works, and that's okay. When I look at it, I will always recall the dark days of grief of losing my mother. 

Rest in peace mom.

Surreal series - House of Dreams

About twenty years ago, I kept having a recurring dream/nightmare that involved a home I bought which had a very evil feeling. It was a three story Victorian with a basement, and the dream always was portrayed in the dark. The basement felt safest, yet empty. The attic felt the scariest. This dream came to me at least 10 times over the course of about a year. Then one day, I stopped having them.

While this painting doesn't represent that dream, the house reminds me of the one in the dream. Eyes watching you, darkness surrounds the house, and it's a multi-story home. Unlike the one in my dream, I painted this one with cheerful colors of pink, teal and gold. I did not have a detailed plan for this piece. Other than the shape of the house, all of the whimsical details were spontaneous and were not in the dream. 

The dreams we have at night are a pretty special place to be, I do believe they are another realm of reality to embrace, even if they are scary.