Artistic Polar Bear Challenge: 100 Ways In 100 Days. #35 - Jellybeans

A little bit of exploration in the kitchen cabinets, and the Fun With Food theme continues!

  Jellybean Bear

10" x 10"

A bit of fun, and quite tasty I might add.  Now if you'll excuse me, I believe I consumed about half the bear and I feel a glucose coma coming on. 

Artistic Polar Bear Challenge: 100 Ways In 100 Days. #34 - M & Ms

A case of the munchies and a perennial sweet tooth was the inspiration for this one.  Talk about working with a limited palette!

M & M Bear

10" x 14"

M & M's on.....does it really matter? 

The Furry Critic feels she must oversee any artistic endeavors that involve the use of food.

I believe she's hoping that one day I lose my mind long enough to create a bear out of kibble.

Artistic Polar Bear Challenge: 100 Ways In 100 Days. #33 - Paper Collage

The Paper Lovefest continues.  I picked up a pack of mulberry paper scraps from the local hobby store, and set to work. The bear outline was drawn on a piece of illustration board, larger this time to give me some elbow room to collage.

Collage Bear

6" x 10"

Mulberry paper collage on illustration board

Oh.....my.....gawd.  If this was any more fun it probably would be illegal.  At first I was my usual persnickety self, cutting the and placing the paper pieces precisely.  That didn't last long.  Before it was a quarter of the way done, the paper was merrily being shredded into a sizable smorgasbord of selected scraps, and gleefully cemented onto the board with matte medium.  The paper was wonderfully textured with colorful strings and bits of newsprint.  The white, orange and purple papers were nicely translucent, becoming more transparent when brushed with the medium.  Layers were used to create various values.  In some areas, there are more than twenty layers of paper.  This was a blast, and something I'll have a go at again in the future.  Without this blog challenge, this is something I probably would have never attempted. 

If you want to see some beautiful 'paper paintings', check out the work of  Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson.  She is an accomplished collage artist who creates some fabulous work.  I'm particularly love her cow collage paintings, they're just to die for.  Or would that be 'to moo for'?

Artistic Polar Bear Challenge: 100 Ways In 100 Days. #32 - Conte Pencil on Black Background

Okay, indulge me for one more day of Conte creation.  I'll move on, I promise.

Black Conte Bear

I've always liked to paint on a black background, it gives the final piece a somewhat batik-ish look, which I really like.  But these have shown me the Power Of The Ground, and how much a different colored substrate can change the whole feel of the subject. 

Artistic Polar Bear Challenge: 100 Ways In 100 Days. #31 - Conte Pencil on Neutral Color

Unexpected treasures just make my day. My art supply archaeological dig in the basement closets that resulted in the dusty box of pastels also yielded a stash of nice Canson and Strathmore papers, as well as some Bristol boards.  It's like putting your spring jacket on for the first time in the fall, and finding cash in the pocket.

Only one Conte pencil drawing was scheduled on my original list of one hundred ways to do this bear.  Given that this is the third, I'm obviously reveling in the paper discovery.

Gray Conte Bear

Here's to relishing life's little unexpected pleasures.