Wekiva Bear

The Florida Black bear was a state listed threatened species for many many years there were so few left after hunting had decimated their numbers. This painting is among the several I did to highlight the plight of this still-imperiled animal, whose habitat is now fragmented and populations in some cases so isolated that inbreeding is a danger to the health of the species. The Florida people vehemently oppose black bear hunts and in my depiction of this female bear I wished to illustrate the incontrovertible innocence of this iconic and endearing native animal. Soft Pastel, again, I find perfect for rendering Florida native mammals.