Soooo here's something different from me!
Quite a few years ago I did a linocut of a polar bear and I wanted to have another go.
Obviously! I couldn't work from my own photo so I began by looking everywhere on the internet to find the perfect bear to inspire me to cut. I found the work of Paul Souders, and his incredible photographs. I approached him online and asked permission to use one of his photographs which he kindly granted. There is also a book available on his amazing adventures.
Arctic Soltaire: A Boat, a Bay and the Quest for the Perfect Bear
I decided to flip the image so my bear is coming from the other direction. ( lol I did do it on purpose)
I asked Paul if it was a male or a female?
'In answer to your question, that was a male bear. One of the biggest, scariest ones I’ve ever been close to like that. This was up in Eclipse Sound, in the Torngat Mountains in northern Labrador, Canada on my sailboat’s first trip north.'
I love the name so I've called my bear 'Eclipse Sound'
So.. how to get the beautiful dappled light coming through the water onto the bear and the water swirls with his reflection under the surface. There is so much happening in this image.
1st colour
2nd colour, gone lighter
3rd colour, start of the water
4th, 5th and 6th colours went on at the same time
7th colour over everything
8th colour
9th colour blue on the lino
and printed
10th colour brown in the eye
11th colour nearly black across the top of the water, and under body shadow
12th colour, black the bear's nose, face, eyes and under paws.
then I added some black ink to get some depth in the water and blue pastel
Printed Image size 61 x 45cm
Varied edition size 13
I've entered him into the David Shepherd Wildlife Artist Of The Year, category 'Into the Blue' fingers crossed he get's into the next round xx