Four Artists Tackle Bears

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Susie Cipolla, "Face Shot," 2018

acrylic on canvas, 24" x 24"

Many of us have stories about bears. It might be the tourists you saw foolishly feeding a bear by the side of a highway. Or that ominous growl down a ravine that sounded like it was coming from a 300-pound biker. Or that night out camping when you heard an animal rummaging around the picnic table and the hairs at the back of your neck stood up.

Bears are a part of Canadian identity, not just a source of campfire tales but symbols of things we hold dear, like the beauty of wild places, even though many bear populations are struggling in the wake of human encroachment, ecosystem degradation and climate change. So little wonder then, that the Canada House Gallery in Banff has put together a show of bear paintings by four artists that supports a good cause – WildSmart, a Bow Valley non-profit group that educates locals about how to reduce negative interactions with wildlife to sustain animal populations. “We really want to share our love of bears,” says gallery owner Barbara Pelham. “We thought it would be a nice way to celebrate them.”

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Richard Cole, "Long Beach," 2018

oil on canvas, 24" x 80"

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Sarah Martin, "Hope That Awaits," 2018

oil on canvas, 40" x 50"

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Robert Lemay, "Polar Bears," 2018

oil on canvas, 72" x 48"

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The show, titled Bear, runs March 1 to March 12 and features work by Edmonton artist Robert Lemay, West Coast artists Richard Cole and Susie Cipolla, and Sarah Martin, who lives in Barrie, Ont. They take different approaches. Lemay paints covers of popular magazines like National Geographic that feature bears, while Cole, primarily a landscape artist, depicts the animals with naturalistic realism. Cippola’s work is more impressionistic, with its interest in light and loose brushwork. Martin uses mixed media, incorporating painting and vintage photographs to create more stylized images. ■

Bear runs March 1 to March 12, 2018